Department for Transport

Railways: Nottinghamshire

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to connect Nottingham with rural parts of Nottinghamshire via the restoration of the Maid Marian Line.

Wendy Morton: The bid to progress the case for reopening the Maid Marian line to passenger services was unsuccessful as part of the Restoring Your Railway programme. However, the Government recognises the potential benefits of restoration of the Maid Marian Line and will therefore take the case under consideration as part of the Toton Study. This study, which was established following the publication of the IRP, will assess accelerating transport improvements at Toton, such as a station for local or regional services. It will also include looking at the synergies and combined business case for proposals to reopen the Maid Marian line to passenger services.

Inland Waterways: Freight

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the use of waterways for freight transportation.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the use of water freight.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to commit to upgrading waterways by allocating adequate funding for navigation authorities.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to upgrade existing waterways so that they can take larger cargos.

Robert Courts: To increase the use of freight on our waterways the Government provides revenue support through our Mode Shift Revenue Support and Waterborne Freight grants. We have committed £20 million per year to 2024/25 to support rail and water freight services on routes where they deliver environmental benefits over road haulage but are more expensive to operate.The cross-modal and long-term Future of Freight plan, published on 15 June, sets out the Government’s objectives for a freight and logistics sector that is efficient, reliable, resilient and sustainable. The plan explicitly supports mode shift of freight from road to rail, inland waterways, coastal shipping and new innovative modes such as e-cargo bikes. The plan also sets out how government will raise the status of freight within the planning system, will develop with industry a £7 million Freight Innovation Fund and will undertake work to develop a National Freight Network. This work will support, and provide opportunities to increase the use of, waterways for freight.Upgrades of the waterways network in the UK are the responsibility of the Canal and River Trust (CRT), which is sponsored by Defra. The Department for Transport continues to work with Defra officials and the CRT to ensure that freight is considered in the operation, maintenance and enhancement of the UK’s waterways.There are a wide range of navigation authorities that manage inland waterways. These are either independent self-financing bodies such as port authorities or are funded by other branches of government such as Defra.

Maritime Skills Commission: Staff

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full-time staff the Maritime Skills Commission has.

Robert Courts: The Maritime Skills Commission has one member of staff shared with the Diversity in Maritime Taskforce. The post is funded on a two-year basis from the Department for Transport and they are employed by Maritime UK. The Chair and Commissioners are part-time volunteers.

Clean Maritime Council

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who the members of the Clean Maritime Council were as at 23 June 2022.

Robert Courts: As at 23 June 2022, the member organisations of the Clean Maritime Council were: British Ports Association; Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Affairs; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department for Transport; ENGIE; Environmental Defence Fund; ING Bank; Innovate UK; Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology; Lloyd’s Register; Maritime and Coastguard Agency; Maritime Enterprise Working Group; Maritime London; Maritime UK; Offshore Renewable Catapult; Red Funnel; Smart Green Shipping Alliance; Strathclyde University; UK Chamber of Shipping; UK Major Ports Group, UN Climate Change Champion; University College London; Wightlink and Workboat Association.

Bus Services: Concessions

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to provide free bus transport to Ukrainian refugees.

Trudy Harrison: The Government is determined to ensure that Ukrainian evacuees encounter a warm reception in the UK. The Department for Transport continues to work with partners across the industry, and the Confederation of Passenger Transport, to provide free onward travel for Ukraine evacuees by bus.As part of the national scheme organised by the Department, in conjunction with industry, most bus operators will continue to provide free onward travel to Ukrainian evacuees to their final destinations in Great Britain until 20th December 2022. The Government is grateful for industry’s continued support.

Large Goods Vehicles: Hydrogen

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help make the use of hydrogen commercially viable for heavy good vehicles.

Trudy Harrison: Last month we announced £200m of funding to expand the Department’s Zero Emission Road Freight Demonstrator programme. This will see the deployment of three zero emission HGV technologies at scale on UK roads, as announced within the Net Zero Strategy, with the battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell demonstration competitions due to launch shortly. Evidence gathered as part of these demonstrations will inform which technology, or mix of technologies are best suited to decarbonise the heaviest elements of the UK’s road freight fleet.

Public Transport: Concessions

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to help provide Ukrainian refugees with free access to public transport in the UK.

Trudy Harrison: Since mid-March 2022, all Ukrainians that enter the UK with the appropriate visa can travel on public transport from their port of entry to their end destination at no cost if travel occurs within 48 hours of arrival. This includes rail, bus and all Transport for London routes. To date, over 2,200 rail journeys have been made via the free onward travel offer, and many more on UK bus, coach and tram services. On the 20 June, this scheme was extended for a further six months.

Driving Licences: Applications

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average processing time was for driving licence applications where a medical condition needed to be considered, as of 21 June 2022.

Trudy Harrison: In May 2022, the latest full month for which information is available, the average time to make a licensing decision where the driving licence applicant had declared a medical condition was 91 working days.The majority of applicants will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here.

Whitchurch Driving Test Centre

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings the Parliamentary Undersecretary of State of his Department has had with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency on Whitchurch Driving Test Centre in the last 18 months.

Trudy Harrison: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) updates Baroness Vere of Norbiton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, on driving test centre (DTC) closures, including Whitchurch, through written correspondence.

Railways: Strikes

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help avoid future railway strikes.

Wendy Morton: The Government is taking immediate steps to support employers and help members of the public by minimising the disruption that they face as a result of the RMT’s strike action.A Statutory Instrument has now been laid, under the terms of which employment businesses will be able supply workers to replace striking workers. This will also allow trained staff with transferrable skills to move around the rail industry to cover for striking staff to keep the railways running.We are working at pace to see how any potential legislative change could be delivered, including looking at the introduction of Minimum Service Level Legislation which would provide a mechanism for a minimum level of train service during periods of strike action.

Department for Transport: Procurement

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2022 to Question 21138 on Department for Transport: Procurement, which non-governmental organisations received copies of the work package request issued by his Department on 26 May 2022; through what channels was the work package request issued; and if he will set who were recipients of the work package request required to sign confidentiality agreements before receiving it.

Andrew Stephenson: Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2022 to Question 21138, the procurement was awarded via a DFT owned framework as a Direct Award and was issued via the AWARD procurement application. All the suppliers on the framework are bound by the terms and conditions relating to confidentiality and data protection.

Railways: Industrial Disputes

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the impact of the national rail strikes on children's exam attendance.

Wendy Morton: The Secretary of State frequently updates Cabinet colleagues about the impact of the strikes.

National Union of Rail Maritime and Transport Workers

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he last met a representative of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers in person.

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department last held in-person discussions with the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers.

Wendy Morton: Ministers and officials regularly meet with the RMT on a variety of matters.

Driverless Vehicles

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the timescale for self-driving vehicles to be permitted on UK roads.

Trudy Harrison: We expect self-driving vehicles to be permitted on the roads in two ways:(1) commercially available self-driving systems, that can drive in certain circumstances and which require a responsible human in the vehicle (such as those compliant with the Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) Regulation), will be deployed when a manufacturer brings a vehicle to market and it is approved; and(2) self-driving passenger transport and logistics vehicles are also being trialled on the roads currently, and we anticipate progress towards the first deployment over the next 5 years.

Driverless Vehicles

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the expected timescale for self-driving vehicles to be permitted on roads.

Trudy Harrison: We expect self-driving vehicles to be permitted on the roads in two ways:(1) commercially available self-driving systems, that can drive in certain circumstances and which require a responsible human in the vehicle (such as those compliant with the Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) Regulation), will be deployed when a manufacturer brings a vehicle to market and it is approved; and(2) self-driving passenger transport and logistics vehicles are also being trialled on the roads currently, and we anticipate progress towards the first deployment over the next 5 years.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Housing: Energy

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to measure the extent of retrofitting residential accommodation in local authority areas (a) in total and (b) among social housing stock.

Greg Hands: The number of homes retrofitted under the Local Authority Delivery Scheme are published on GOV.UK monthly to monitor the delivery of energy efficiency measures installed and households receiving measures; analysis is shown by geographical region and includes key trends. The official statistics for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) will be published in due course.

Hydrogen: Exports

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2022 to Question 18947, what assessment he has made of the capacity of the UK hydrogen sector to deliver hydrogen to both the (a) UK and (b) overseas markets; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands: The UK Government is increasing production to meet its ambition of 10GW domestic hydrogen production by 2030. The UK has strong potential as a future exporter of hydrogen and will continue to ensure its approach realises the greatest opportunities for the UK while supporting the maintenance of sufficient supplies for domestic use.

Hydrogen: Exports

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2022 to Question 18947, whether it is Government policy to allocate public funds to support the export of hydrogen.

Greg Hands: The Government funding schemes, the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund and Hydrogen Business Model, are primarily aimed at supporting domestic production. While projects exporting hydrogen could benefit from business model support, the specific volumes exported would not be eligible for support payments. This is to avoid subsidising hydrogen that will not contribute to decarbonisation in the UK.

Hydrogen: Exports

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2022 to Question 18947, whether it is his policy to encourage the export of hydrogen.

Greg Hands: The Government’s Energy Security Strategy doubled the UK’s hydrogen production ambition, aiming for up to 10GW by 2030. This will open up greater opportunities for exporting hydrogen, particularly to continental Europe, where the Government sees increasing hydrogen demand alongside established energy trading and interconnection with the UK.

Simple Energy: Sequoia Investments (UK)

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2022 to Question 16806 on Simple Energy: Insolvency, what was the source of the payments from Simple Energy to Sequoia Investments referenced in the Monthly Investor Report from Sequoia Investment Group dated 29 April 2022.

Greg Hands: Payments made by Simple Energy are a matter for the administrators of Simple Energy. Payments under the Transitional Service Agreement between Bulb and Simple Energy cover services necessary to preserve and continue the business of Bulb such as Information Technology, services, and employees.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Consultants

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the total spending on external consultancy by the Department was to support the delivery of (a) the Nuclear Sector Deal, (b) the Offshore Wind Sector Deal and (c) the North Sea Transition Deal.

Greg Hands: The Department has nil spend against external consultancy to support the delivery of (a) the Nuclear Sector Deal, (b) the Offshore Wind Sector Deal and (c) the North Sea Transition Deal.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Staff

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the total spending of the Department on staff resource was to support the delivery of (a) the Nuclear Sector Deal, (b) the Offshore Wind Sector Deal and (c) the North Sea Transition Deal.

Greg Hands: This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Renewables Obligation: Costs

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to publish the Government’s consultation on the reduction of indirect costs to industry as a result of the Renewables Obligation as outlined in the Energy Security Strategy in April 2022.

Greg Hands: The Government intends to consult on the related EII exemption scheme shortly. This scheme provides exemption from a significant portion of Contract for Differences (CfD), Renewables Obligation (RO), and Feed-in Tariff (FiT) costs.

Bulb Energy: Insolvency

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June to Question 16806, what agreements were made in the contract that took Bulb Energy into the Special Administration Regime about the repayment of loans to investors.

Greg Hands: Bulb Energy was placed into Special Administration by way of an order of the court, not a contract. The Special Administrators are bound by the Administration Funding Agreement (AFA), endorsed by the court. The AFA between the Energy Administrators, Bulb and the Secretary of State is an agreement in respect of financial support during the administration.

Qualifications: Ukraine

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to fast-track professional conversion exams for Ukrainian refugees with relevant qualifications.

Lee Rowley: The Government has enshrined the principle of regulator autonomy in the Professional Qualifications Act 2022, which achieved Royal Assent in April. Standards for practising professions are set by individual regulators and it is for regulators to assess who meets these standards in the ways that they deem fit. Government officials regularly engage with professional regulators and UK business, and are available to support with enquiries about supporting Ukrainian refugees with relevant qualifications to pursue employment in their professions in the UK.

Financial Conduct Authority and Ofcom: Standards

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work of (a) the Financial Conduct Authority and (b) Ofcom in improving customer service standards in their respective industrial sectors.

Paul Scully: Neither of the two regulators referred to are the responsibility of my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

New Businesses

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of incubator hubs for (a) new businesses and (b) the shared business community.

Paul Scully: Incubators and accelerators play a crucial role in helping entrepreneurs start and grow their business. In 2019, BEIS published a research paper on the Impact of Business Incubators and Accelerators in the UK, available here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/839755/The_impact_of_business_accelerators_and_incubators_in_the_UK.pdf. The UK Innovation Strategy, published in July 2021, sets out the Government’s vision to make the UK a global hub for innovation by 2035. In order to support delivery on the four pillars of the Strategy, BEIS is increasing funding for core Innovate UK programmes by 66% to £1.1 billion in 2024-2025. This will further help connect UK companies to the capital, skills and connections needed to innovate and grow.

OneWeb: Finance

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will take steps to ensure that OneWeb continues to receive funding and support.

George Freeman: The Government has successfully supported OneWeb to fully fund its business plan and continues to support OneWeb to become commercially successful. The Government does not intend to make any further investment in OneWeb.

Groceries Code Adjudicator

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Grocery Code Adjudicator in regulating the relationship between supermarkets and suppliers.

Paul Scully: The Groceries Code Adjudicator Act requires the Government to conduct and consult on a review every three years into the operational effectiveness of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA). My officials have begun work on the third statutory review of the GCA covering the period from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2022 and the Government will issue a consultation to seek the views of stakeholders in due course.

Trading Standards Scotland

Stephen Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions officials in his Department (a) have had and (b) plan to hold with relevant stakeholders on potential increased demand on Trading Standards Scotland arising from the (a) UK's departure from the EU, (b) recovery from the covid-19 outbreak and (c) changes in the environmental standards for goods and services.

Stephen Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions officials in his Department (a) have had and (b) plan to hold with relevant stakeholders on increasing the number of trading standards officers to meet potential increase in demand arising from the (a) UK's departure from the EU, (b) recovery from the covid-19 outbreak and (c) changes in the environmental standards for goods and services.

Paul Scully: The role and number of trading standards officers is a matter for local authorities who fund and appoint them to consider. BEIS officials regularly meet with stakeholders such as Chartered Trading Standards Institute, National Trading Standards Board and Trading Standards Scotland, as well as others, in relation to consumer policy enforcement. However, staffing levels are a matter for local authorities to decide.

Certification Quality Marks

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to publish a communications campaign in respect of the UKCA marking regime to raise awareness of that regime among businesses.

Paul Scully: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy continues to deliver a comprehensive programme of communication with industry on the implementation of the UKCA marking. The Government will continue this work, with further communications and in person engagement, following our recent announcement of measures to make the UKCA regime easier for businesses.

Department of Health and Social Care

Pregnancy: Sodium Valproate

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had any discussions with HM Treasury on a care plan for people affected by the use of sodium valproate in pregnancy.

Maria Caulfield: The Government published its response to the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety review in July 2021, which did not accept the recommendation to establish separate redress schemes for three interventions, including sodium valproate. We have interpreted the hon. Member’s question on care plans to refer to redress.We are considering this issue and will update Parliament in due course. We will engage with HM Treasury during this process.

Non-surgical Cosmetic Procedures: Risk Assessment

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether practitioners of aesthetic treatments are required to undertake a mandatory risk assessment of each patient prior to treatment.

Maria Caulfield: Practitioners carrying out non-surgical cosmetic treatments are not required to undertake a mandatory risk assessment of patients. However, we encourage anyone considering a cosmetic procedure to find a reputable, insured and qualified practitioner and reflect on the possible impact of the procedure on their physical and mental health.Choosing a practitioner subject to statutory regulation or on a voluntary register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority provides assurance that they hold the requisite knowledge, qualifications and insurance to safely perform the procedures being offered.

Department of Health and Social Care: Recruitment

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on external recruitment consultants in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021; how many full time equivalent posts were filled as a result of that expenditure; and how many of those posts were filled by individuals recruited from outside the civil service.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Security Benefits: Uprating

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to (a) ensure that the Minimum Income Guarantee will be considered for uprating for 2023-24 and (b) hold discussions with Cabinet on assessing the potential merits of that uprating as part future welfare payments uprating. colleagues to ensure that it is considered for uprating alongside other welfare payments.

Gillian Keegan: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS Trusts: IVF

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to require all NHS Trusts to provide three full cycles of IVF for eligible women, as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines.

Maria Caulfield: The Department undertook an internal policy review on the variation in access to National Health Service fertility services, which was completed in 2021. The results of this internal review will inform future policy. We will set out our initial ambitions in the Women’s Health Strategy, due to be published shortly.We expect local NHS commissioning bodies to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines, to ensure there is equitable access in England.

Podiatry

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Clinical Commissioning Groups commission chiropody services; and if York Clinical Commissioning Group commissions NHS chiropody services.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested on the number of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) which commission chiropody services is not held centrally. The Vale of York CCG commissions chiropody and podiatry services, which are delivered by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

Kidney Diseases: Health Services

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the Renal Services Transformation Programme is planned to tackle inequalities in kidney care.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to address levels of health and social inequalities in people living with chronic kidney disease and those on dialysis.

Maria Caulfield: We are working with NHS England to implement the Renal Services Transformation Programme, which aims to reduce unwarranted variation in the quality and accessibility of renal care for those with chronic kidney disease and undergoing dialysis treatment. The Programme has established an expert-led multidisciplinary clinical workstream to focus on reducing inequalities in access to renal services. All NHS England transformation programme workstreams are being developed in collaboration with patient groups, clinical and non-clinical colleagues. Further details on how the workstreams will deliver its objectives will be available by April 2023.

Health Hazards: Pollution

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on reducing the risk of pollution to the health of people living in urban areas through the provision of urban woodland and green space.

Maggie Throup: Ministers have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, including the impact of pollution on people’s health.In 2019, the former Public Health England published an evidence-based review on interventions to reduce air pollution, including recommendations to reduce harm from air pollution locally, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-outdoor-air-quality-and-health-review-of-interventions

Dentistry: Migrant Workers

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of people who have come to the UK as dentists remain working in (a) dentistry and (b) NHS dentistry after (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) five and (d) 10 years.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested is not held centrally.

Learning Disability: Health Services

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department is providing to NHS Trusts to (a) reduce and (b) mitigate poor outcomes for people with a learning disability during extended waits for care.

Gillian Keegan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bolton South East (Yasmin Qureshi MP) on 29 June to Question 22390.

General Practitioners: Domestic Visits

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many visits each Government minister has undertaken to GP surgeries in each year since May 2015.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many visits each Government minister has undertaken to primary care providers in each year since May 2015.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many visits were made by Government ministers to mental health providers in each year since May 2015.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many visits were made by Government ministers to secondary healthcare providers in each year since May 2015.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many visits were made by Government ministers to social care providers in each year since May 2015.

Edward Argar: The information requested prior to 2019 is not held centrally. While information on Ministerial visits from 2019 to date is held, to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time for an (a) initial assessment and (b) commencement of treatment was for cancer in (i) York and (ii) England in the most recent period for which data is available.

Maria Caulfield: This information is not collected in the format requested.

General Practitioners

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage GPs to return to face-to-face appointments.

Maria Caulfield: NHS England and NHS Improvement’s guidance states that general practitioner practices must provide face to face appointments, alongside remote consultations and patients’ input for consultation type should be sought. Preferences for face-to-face care respected unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  Excluding COVID-19 vaccinations, 63% of general practice appointments were conducted face-to-face in April 2022.We have made £520 million available to improve access and expand general practice capacity during the pandemic, in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 to create an additional 50 million general practice appointments by 2024.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cancer patients waited more than two weeks from initial diagnosis to beginning their 62-day treatment pathway in Q4 2021-22.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested is not currently held centrally.

Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021, made on 2 December 2021, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of placement measures on businesses.

Maggie Throup: The costs to businesses were considered in the Government’s impact assessment for the placement restrictions, published in December 2020. The impact assessment show that the costs for businesses are expected to be £423 million per year, with transition costs for the first year, to implement the placement restrictions expected to be £47 million. While we recognise the costs associated with implementation, the costs of obesity to individuals, society and the National Health Service are considerable and the benefits from reducing calorie intakes across the population are substantial. Following consultation in 2020, we made a number of exemptions to the placement restrictions to ease the impact on businesses where appropriate. Micro and small businesses are out of scope of the restrictions entirely, with only medium and large businesses with 50 or more employees subject to the restrictions. Stores that are smaller than 185.8 square metres will be exempt from the location restrictions, as well as specialist retailers which sell one type of food product category, such as chocolatiers or confectioners.

Genito-urinary Medicine: Training

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of appropriately trained health advisers within sexual health services, in context of the emergence of the monkeypox virus.

Maggie Throup: While no recent assessment has been made, we are working with commissioners and providers to keep this under review. The UK Health Security Agency has provided guidance to healthcare workers, including those working in sexual health services, on conducting assessments for those presenting with concerns about potential exposure to monkeypox and advice on personal protective equipment. Pre-exposure vaccination for staff working in sexual health services who have been identified as assessing suspected cases is also recommended.

Health: Horticulture

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of gardening and horticulture for people's (a) physical and (b) mental welfare.

Maggie Throup: The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has developed a natural environment and health programme, following an evidence review of the health effects of access to greenspace published by Public Health England in 2020, which is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/904439/Improving_access_to_greenspace_2020_review.pdf The review found evidence that exposure to greenspaces, including through gardening and horticulture, can promote and protect good health, aid in recovery from illness and in managing poor mental and physical health.

Exercise: Children

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that all children take part in daily exercise during the 2022 summer holidays.

Maggie Throup: The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has developed tools to promote activity for children and young people and their families. In summer 2022, this includes a new ‘10 Minute Shake Up’ campaign which is a continued partnership with Disney due to launch in July 2022. The campaign aims to increase children’s daily physical activity during the summer holidays through games, core skills and to encourage physical activity following the holidays.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Standards

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine report entitled Tip of the Iceberg: 12-Hour Stays in the Emergency Department, published June 2022, what assessment he has made of the findings that on average 1047 patients spent longer than 12 hours in A&E departments every day in 2021.

Edward Argar: No formal assessment has been made. However, NHS Digital estimates that in 2020/21, 302,784 patients spent 12 hours or more in accident and emergency.

Learning Disability: Health Services

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department is providing to NHS Trusts to (a) reduce poor outcomes for people with a learning disability during extended waits for care and (b) take steps to mitigate those outcomes.

Gillian Keegan: We are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement to reduce waiting times and address the backlog in elective services through the ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’. To mitigate the risks of extended waits for care, people over the age of 14 years old with a learning disability can receive an annual health check to maintain their health, identify undetected health conditions and ensure the appropriateness of ongoing treatments.

Chronic Illnesses: Medical Treatments

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle regional variation in access to NICE-approved treatments for people living with long-term health conditions and (b) reduce the length of time taken for patients to access approved treatments.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle regional variation in access to NICE approved treatments for people living with long-term health conditions and (b) reduce the length of time taken for patients to access approved treatments.

Edward Argar: The majority of services for people with long term conditions are commissioned locally by clinical commissioning groups, which are best placed to plan the provision of services subject to local prioritisation and funding. In addition, NHS England and NHS Improvement directly commission some specialised services.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) commits to publishing draft guidance on new medicines, including for long-term health conditions, at the time of licensing, with final guidance published within three months of licensing, wherever possible. In England, the National Health Service is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, usually within three months of final guidance. The Life Sciences Vision committed to identify and address unwarranted variation in the uptake of innovative medicines. This will assist the Accelerated Access Collaborative to increase the use of proven innovations in the NHS in England.

Gynaecology: Accident and Emergency Departments

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many admissions to NHS accident and emergency departments were there for gynaecology patients in England in each year since 2010.

Edward Argar: The following table shows the number of gynaecology patients admitted from accident and emergency in England in each year from 2010/11 to 2020/21. Data for 2021/22 will be published in September 2022.2010/11185,1122011/12179,2652012/13167,2422013/14159,2492014/15155,6012015/16155,1732016/17153,9412017/18156,4152018/19162,7422019/20159,7732020/21142,851 Source: NHS Digital, Hospital Episode Statistics for England. Admitted Patient Care.

NHS: Long Covid

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS trusts are given up-to-date guidance on supporting employees with long covid.

Edward Argar: NHS England and NHS Improvement published guidance for National Health Service organisations to support NHS employees affected by the long term effects of COVID-19 infection, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/supporting-our-nhs-people/support-now/supporting-long-covidThese guidelines are developed and updated as required by NHS England and NHS Improvement, with support from a Task and Finish Group comprised of representatives from the Department, Health Education England and NHS Employers. The membership also includes NHS colleagues with lived experience of Post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Out-patients: Monitoring

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Elective Recovery Plan published on 8 February 2022, what steps he is taking to support the scaling of remote monitoring approaches across NHS Trusts in England; and whether national funding has been made available to support Trusts to adopt new remote monitoring technologies.

Gillian Keegan: NHS England has established a programme to enable the scaling of remote monitoring in all integrated care systems, which is in its third year. In 2021/22, we made £21 million available to schemes supporting people at home via technology enabled remote monitoring.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Consultants

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department spent on external consultants in each of the last five years.

David T C Davies: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales spent the following on consultants over the last five financial years: Financial YearSpend (£)2017-18Nil2018-1935,4002019-206,6002020-21Nil2021-22Nil

Department for Education

Special Educational Needs: Per Capita Costs

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make a comparative assessment of the higher needs funding per pupil (a) in Ipswich and (b) across England on average for pupils with (i) mild to severe and (ii) severe needs.

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much SEND pupils receive per pupil in Ipswich constituency under the area cost adjustment to the basic entitlement factor; and how that figure compares to the UK average.

Will Quince: Suffolk County Council, in which Ipswich is located, will attract a year-on-year increase in its high needs allocation of 12.5% per head of their 2-18 population this financial year, bringing its total high needs funding allocation in 2022-23 to £96.1 million.Suffolk County Council’s allocation of high needs funding is calculated through a national funding formula (NFF) that includes an element of funding based on the number of pupils in special schools in the county, which contributes to the cost of the place funding for those schools. This basic entitlement factor allocates a per-pupil amount of £4,660, to which an area cost adjustment is added, that reflects higher staffing costs in some areas of the country, such as London. The area cost adjustment weightings and basic entitlement per-pupil amounts for each local authority in England are set out in the published NFF calculations which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-tables-for-schools-and-high-needs-2022-to-2023. The Impact of the schools NFF, 2022 to 2023 spreadsheet shows how the financial year 2022/23 NFF allocations have been calculated. This shows that Suffolk’s area cost adjustment is 1.000. How area cost adjustment is calculated is set out here in Annex A: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-tables-for-schools-and-high-needs-2022-to-2023.A significant proportion of overall funding for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is delivered through the schools NFF and subsequently through each local authority’s local schools funding formula. The information collected from local authorities or schools does not allow us to make a comparative assessment of total SEND or high needs funding on an overall per-pupil basis, at local authority or constituency level, or taking into account the severity of pupils’ needs.

Holiday Play Schemes: Refugees

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make provision for Ukrainian refugee children to attend holiday clubs over summer 2022 (a) in general and (b) in order that their parents are able to attend language courses.

Will Quince: Ukrainian children eligible for benefits-related free school meals (FSM) will be able to access the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. This holiday provision is for school aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who receive benefits-related FSM. Local authorities have discretion to also provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related FSM but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF provision, which could include Ukrainian children who may not be eligible for FSM or are in the process of having their FSM claims assessed.

Children: Asylum

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2022 to Question 18916 on Children: Asylum, if he will ask the Children's Commissioner to provide a written update on that issue; and if he will make it his policy to place a copy of the response in the Library of both Houses.

Will Quince: This is a matter for the Children’s Commissioner. Given her independence, the hon. Member for South Shields will need to contact her directly.

Further Education: Student Numbers

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students started a level three course at each English further education institution in each year since 2017; and what proportion of those students had left that course by (a) Christmas and (b) Easter of the first year.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students started in a level two course at each further education institution in England in each year since 2017; and what proportion of those students had left their course by (a) Christmas and (b) Easter of the first year.

Alex Burghart: The tables attached show the number of level 2 and level 3 courses started in each academic year alongside the number and percentage of courses with an end date before Christmas and before Easter[1] [2] [3].[1] It is possible for one student to undertake more than one course.[2] Data includes 16-19 (excluding Apprenticeships) ESFA funded courses.[3] All courses have been included regardless of the outcome and completion status. 22398_22399_table (xls, 572.0KB)

Children and Young People: Social Mobility

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what process his Department has in place to measure social mobility in children and young people from primary school age to (a) leaving education and (b) entering higher education.

Mr Robin Walker: The department monitors key metrics internally and publishes data on outcomes of children and young people from early years to post-16. This includes breakdowns of data by disadvantaged and vulnerable cohorts, and by regions and local authority. The most relevant measures that the department tracks by these cohorts are described below, with links to the latest statistical publications: Percentage of 5-year-olds achieving ‘expected’ level on early learning goals : https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results-2018-to-2019#full-publication-update-historyOutcomes gap between children eligible for free school meals and peers in early years foundation stage profile assessment at age 5 : https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results-2018-to-2019#full-publication-update-historyPercentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check in year 1 : https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonics-screening-check-and-key-stage-1-assessments-england-2019Percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths by end of primary school : https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonics-screening-check-and-key-stage-1-assessments-england-2019Percentage of pupils achieving GCSEs in English and maths (grade 4) or equivalent by age 19 : https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/level-2-and-3-attainment-by-young-people-aged-16-to-25-in-2021Percentage of level 3 attainment by age 19 : https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/level-2-and-3-attainment-by-young-people-aged-16-to-25-in-2021Disadvantaged gap index at key stage 2: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-key-stage-2-2019-revisedDisadvantaged gap index at key stage 4 : https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance-revised/2020-2119+ further education and skills achievements (qualifications) excluding community learning : https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-and-skillsCare leavers aged 21 in education, employment or training : https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2021Progression of 15-year-old state school students to higher education by free schools meal status : https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/widening-participation-in-higher-education/2019-20

Academies: Communication

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2022 to Question 18884, on Schools: Email, whether he has issued recent guidance to academy schools on ensuring that information intended for parents and supplied over email is routinely made as accessible as possible to parents who (a) lack access to a desktop computer or tablet at home, (b) do not have English as a first language and (c) may experience other challenges in opening and reading attachments to emails.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education,  pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2022 to Question 18884, on Schools: Email, if he will amend the (a) School Information Regulations and (b) Governance Handbook to ensure that schools use modern digital communications with parents in a way that is (i) effective and (ii) inclusive, especially for those parents who have difficulties using email, reading and opening attachments, and (iii) in line with wider best practice across government; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker: The department does not issue specific guidance covering information provided from schools to parents via email. However, we would expect schools to consider the needs of their own parents, and to communicate with them in a range of effective and accessible ways. This includes considering the best way to communicate with those for whom English is not their first language, or who may be less digitally literate. The department issues guidance to schools and academies which sets out what school level information they need to publish online. This is a requirement for maintained schools in the School Information (England) Regulations 2008 and for many trusts in their academy funding agreements. As the school information regulations cover what schools must publish on their website, and not what is sent via email, it is not suitable to amend these in order to include making digital communications from schools to parents accessible. If a parent has concerns about information sent via email not being accessible, they should in the first instance raise these with their school.

Pupils: Attendance

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Schools Bill on how Special Educational Needs will be taken into account when monitoring school attendance.

Mr Robin Walker: Regular attendance at school is vital for children’s education, wellbeing, and long-term development. School attendance is mandatory, and parents have a duty, under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to ensure that their child of compulsory age (5-16) receives an efficient full-time education either by attendance at school or otherwise.The department appreciates that barriers to attendance are wide and complex, particularly for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Addressing these requires strong relationships and close working between families, schools, local authorities, and other relevant local services. This is the intention of the attendance clauses in the Schools Bill. The Bill will put the department’s new attendance guidance ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ onto a statutory footing. This will ensure greater consistency in the attendance support offered to pupils and families, regardless of where in the country they live, and emphasises the importance of providing attendance support in an earlier and more targeted way to respond to pupils’ individual needs. The new guidance makes it clear that schools should develop and maintain a whole school culture that promotes the benefits of attendance, whilst recognising the interplay between attendance and wider school improvement efforts, such as strategies on mental health, wellbeing, and SEND. Schools will be expected to have sensitive conversations with pupils about their needs and work with families to develop specific support approaches for pupils with SEND. This includes establishing strategies for removing in-school barriers to attendance, ensuring attendance data of this group of pupils is regularly monitored to spot patterns and provide support earlier, including ensuring joined-up pastoral care is in place and referring pupils to support from other services and partners where necessary. These expectations, alongside the expectations placed on academy trust boards, governing bodies, and local authorities to work in conjunction with school staff to provide joined-up support for all pupils and families, will ensure that pupils with SEND are supported to attend school regularly. Alongside the new expectations in the Schools Bill, the department is currently consulting on proposed changes we want to make to the SEND and alternative provision (AP) system in England. The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper, which is open for public consultation until 22 July 2022, sets out the department’s proposals for a system that offers children and young people the opportunity to thrive, with access to the right support, in the right place, and at the right time.

Ministry of Justice

Reoffenders

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prisoners who are released from prison reoffend, broken down by (a) offence and (b) ethnicity, including the proportion of offenders of each ethnicity.

Kit Malthouse: This Government is tackling the causes of reoffending to make our streets safer. We are investing in probation services and new initiatives to reduce reoffending and beat crime.The Prisons Strategy White Paper, published in December 2021, sets out our ambitious plans to reduce reoffending. We will spend £200 million a year by 2024/25 to improve prison leavers’ access to accommodation, employment support and substance misuse treatment, and on further measures for early intervention to tackle youth offending. This builds on £70 million of investment in 2021 to tackle drivers of reoffending.Our measures are working. Overall proven reoffending has decreased from 30.9% in 2009/10 to 25.6% in 2019/20. The reoffending rates for index offences of robbery, possession of weapons, criminal damage and arson, and sexual and drug offences have all fallen between 2009/10 and 2019/20.The proportion of individuals (adults and juveniles) released from custody who subsequently went on to reoffend over a one-year follow-up period are presented in the table below. The figures are broken down by index offence and ethnicity.Table 1: Overall proven reoffending data for offenders released from custody, by index offence and ethnicity, April 2019 to March 2020 annual offender cohort  Index offenceProportion of offenders who reoffend (%)Violence against the person36.5%White38.4%Black29.2%Asian29.6%Other20.6%Not recorded24.0%Sexual10.9%White10.7%Black18.0%Asian9.0%Other14.7%Not recorded4.9%Robbery26.1%White26.3%Black26.1%Asian25.9%Other*Not recorded20.9%Theft63.4%White63.8%Black64.5%Asian55.2%Other45.7%Not recorded56.3%Criminal damage and arson24.5%White24.4%Black*Asian*Other*Not recorded*Drug21.0%White21.0%Black22.8%Asian19.9%Other10.6%Not recorded13.2%Possession of weapons42.2%White43.5%Black39.9%Asian38.4%Other39.6%Not recorded32.0%Public order56.1%White57.3%Black51.7%Asian49.3%Other*Not recorded47.1%Miscellaneous crimes against society27.9%White30.9%Black26.2%Asian18.4%Other6.8%Not recorded15.0%Fraud31.0%White35.5%Black25.7%Asian15.3%Other*Not recorded7.2%Summary non-motoring56.9%White58.3%Black51.9%Asian46.7%Other*Not recorded44.7%Summary motoring36.0%White37.9%Black30.1%Asian29.4%Other*Not recorded20.0%Other*White*Black*Asian*Other*Not recorded*Total 42.2%White44.6%Black36.3%Asian30.7%Other23.1%Not recorded28.3% Notes: Annual figures are produced by aggregating the four preceding 3-monthly cohorts. Please note that this may result in a single offender being included in the annual cohort more than once.Proven reoffences are measured over a one-year follow-up period and a further six-month waiting period to allow for offences to be proven in court. It is worth noting that the reoffending follow-up and waiting periods for the April 2019 to March 2020 annual offender cohort overlaps, to varying degrees, with the first, second and third national lockdowns due as a result of the COVID19 pandemic. Due to this, figures relating to this cohort period should be interpreted with caution.Index offence refers to the proven offence that led to an offender being included in the cohort.Ethnicity categories presented are based on the reporting police officers' perception of the offender's ethnicity which is entered onto the Police National Computer and not self-reported.Where offender counts are less than or equal to 5, data have been suppressed to avoid deductive disclosure. In addition, proven reoffending proportions based on less than 30 offenders are also removed as they make data unreliable for interpretation. In both instances, counts and/or proportions are marked as *.Due to how custodial sentences are recorded, offenders with prison sentence lengths of one day are not included.

Prisons: Terrorism

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to tackle terrorism in prisons.

Victoria Atkins: We are committed to tackling the threat posed by terrorist prisoners. Our tough approach to terrorist prisoners allows us to limit their interactions, restrict their communications, and thwart the influence of the most subversive prisoners. The CT Step Up programme has included establishing a new central intelligence hub bringing together MI5, the Police and HMPPS to improve our assessment of the threat in prisons. We are now going further in meeting the evolving threat of terrorism, by accepting the overwhelming majority of recommendations made by Jonathan Hall QC in his review of Terrorism in Prisons published on 27 April 2022 (Terrorism in Prisons: Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation's Report and Government Response - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) In response to the report, we are investing £1.2m in a specialist taskforce to identify and target the most influential terrorists publicly making it easier to move them into ‘Separation Centres’ and thereby keep them away from the main prison population. We are also investing a further £6m to expand ‘Close Supervision Centres’ to separate the most physically violent prisoners, including terrorist offenders, and keep staff and the broader prison population safe.

Prisoners: Literacy

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the quality of literacy education in prisons.

Victoria Atkins: The Prisons Strategy White Paper sets out the government’s ambition to equip all prisoners with the literacy skills they need to get jobs on release. To support this, HMPPS has introduced new performance measures for English and maths and we are holding Governors to account for improving the teaching of reading in their prisons.The joint report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Ofsted on Prison education: a review of reading education in prisons highlighted the need to improve literacy education in prisons. To address its recommendations, we will review the current mechanisms for assessing and recording the levels of prisoners’ reading; improve the curriculum guidance given to governors to ensure they prioritise the teaching of reading and review teacher capability to ensure that all providers have staff who are properly qualified to teach reading. We are also planning to develop a Literacy Innovation Scheme to encourage new providers to work with us to trial new approaches to teaching reading with the aim of driving up quality and improving outcomes across the estate.

Treasury

Cooperatives and Social Enterprises

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage the establishment of more social businesses and cooperatives.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a co-operative business incubator for growing the social business sector.

John Glen: The Government recognises the value of co-operatives. They offer a different form of running a business, with a focus on delivering the services their members and communities need. Social enterprises have an important role to play in levelling up the country. As set out in the Levelling Up White Paper (LUWP) the Government is committed to:o supporting social organisations and entrepreneurship to flourish in left-behind places and generating evidence on what workso building on and augmenting existing support for the sectoro encouraging the next generation of social entrepreneurs. The Government is committed to having a thriving social businesses and co-operative sector and helping to support current and establish further businesses which serve local communities up and down the country. At Budget 2021, the Government announced the £150m Community Ownership Fund. This allows community groups, including social businesses and cooperatives, to bid for up to £250,000 matched-funding to help them buy or take over local community assets at risk of being lost and run them as community-owned businesses. As of May 2022, 39 Projects across the UK have been announced to benefit from the fund. The Government has provided significant support to the co-operative sector in recent years and has sought to improve the business environment for co-operatives and mutuals. The Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 helped cut through the legal complexity involved in running a co-operative, improving their competitiveness. The ability of co-operatives to raise £100,000 of withdrawable share capital per member, increased from £20,000 in 2014, has also ensured that co-operatives have the necessary flexibility to raise funding and compete more effectively with companies.Data published by the FCA in May 2021 showed that there was a net increase of 108 co-operative and community benefit societies in 2020-2021, compared to a net decrease of 204 societies in 2016-2017. Business incubators and accelerators play a crucial role in helping businesses start and grow, including social businesses and cooperatives. In 2019, BEIS published the research paper Impact of Business Incubators and Accelerators in the UK, which reported that most start-ups who used an incubator or accelerator considered them to have been significant or even vital to their success.

Personal Savings: Interest Rates

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of financial institutions on the level of interest rates offered to savers.

John Glen: Treasury ministers and officials engage with stakeholders on a variety of issues. However, the pricing of financial products is a commercial decision for firms and the Government does not seek to intervene in such decisions.

Pay: Poverty

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to ask the pay review bodies to prioritise tackling poverty and low wages in their recommendations.

Mr Simon Clarke: The government is providing over £15bn of additional support, to address global inflationary pressures, targeted particularly on those with the greatest need. This package builds on the over £22bn announced previously, with government support for the cost of living now totaling over £37bn this year.Millions of the most vulnerable households will receive at least £1,200 of one-off support in total this year to help with the cost of living.For households that are not eligible for Cost of Living Payments or for families that still need additional support; the government is providing an extra £500 million of local support, via the Household Support Fund. The Fund will be extended from this October to March 2023, bringing total funding for the scheme to £1.5 billion.The government is also committed to tackling the underlying, long-term factors driving cost of living challenges. This includes: helping people into work and supporting them to keep more of what they earn; solidifying our supply chains and boosting our energy security; and driving economic growth through a lower tax, dynamic market economy.On 1 April 2022, the Government increased the National Living Wage (NLW) by 6.6% to £9.50 an hour for workers aged 23+. This helps keeps us on track to meet our target, which will help make significant progress on ending low pay by 2024-25. The April 2022 increase in the NLW represents an increase of over £1,000 to the annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage and is expected to benefit over 2 million workers. Pay for most frontline workforces – including nurses, teachers, armed forces and police officers - is set through an independent Pay Review Body process. The Pay Review Bodies will consider a range of evidence when forming their recommendations. Spending Review 2021 confirmed that public sector workers will see pay rises across the whole Spending Review period (22/23-24/25).

NHS: Parking

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral contribution of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury of 25 May 2022, Official Report, column 168WH, what recent discussions he has had with his officials on waiving car parking charges for NHS workers; and when his Department plans to respond to the hon. Member for Barnsley Central in writing.

Lucy Frazer: Throughout the pandemic, our NHS workers have gone above and beyond to protect public health and this Government has supported NHS workers in any way it can. As part of the Government’s manifesto commitment to introduce free hospital car parking for in-need groups, NHS staff working overnight are able to access free hospital car parking and 97% of Trusts that charge for parking have implemented this commitment.

Fuels: VAT

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing tax rebates on VAT for key workers in respect of petrol and diesel purchases for travel to work.

Lucy Frazer: In response to fuel prices reaching their highest ever levels, the Government announced at Spring Statement 2022 a temporary 12-month cut to duty on petrol and diesel of 5p per litre across the UK. This cut represents savings for households and businesses worth around £2.4 billion in 2022-23. VAT has been designed as a broad-based tax on consumption and the twenty per cent standard rate applies to the vast majority of goods and services, including VAT on road fuel. Whilst there are exceptions to the standard rate, these have always been strictly limited by both legal and fiscal considerations. A key principle of the VAT system is that similar supplies are subject to similar levels of VAT. The Government keeps all taxes under constant review, but there are no plans to offer VAT rebates on fuel for key workers.

Fuels: VAT

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of VAT inflating petrol and diesel prices as retail prices increase.

Lucy Frazer: Unique circumstances globally, including the war in Ukraine, have pushed pump prices up to unprecedented levels. In response to fuel prices reaching their highest ever levels, the Government announced at Spring Statement 2022 a temporary 12-month cut to duty on petrol and diesel of 5p per litre across the UK. This cut represents savings for households and businesses worth around £2.4 billion in 2022-23. VAT has been designed as a broad-based tax on consumption, and the twenty per cent standard rate applies to the vast majority of goods and services. While there are exceptions to the standard rate, these have always been strictly limited by both legal and fiscal considerations. VAT makes a significant contribution to the public finances and, according to OBR forecasts, will have raised approximately £135 billion in 2021/22. As you will know, any reduction in tax paid is a reduction in the money available to support important public services, including the NHS and policing.

Strikes: Taxation

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to classify strike payments made by unions to its members as a taxable benefit.

Lucy Frazer: The tax position of these types of payments will depend on the circumstances on which they are provided and would be considered by HMRC on a case-by-case basis.

Car Allowances

Peter Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment rates were last reviewed; and when he next plans to review those rates in the context of high costs of road fuel.

Lucy Frazer: The Approved Mileage Allowance Payment (AMAP) rates aim to reflect running costs including fuel, servicing and depreciation. Depreciation is estimated to constitute the most significant proportion of the AMAP rates. Fuel costs only contribute to a fraction of AMAP rates and not the total rate. Employers are not required to use AMAPs. Instead, they can agree to reimburse the actual cost incurred, where individuals can provide evidence of the expenditure, without an Income Tax or National Insurance charge arising. As with all taxes and allowances, the Government keeps AMAP rates under review and any changes are considered by the Chancellor.

Carer's Allowance: Cost of Living

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing additional financial support to those in receipt of Carers Allowance in the context of the rise in the cost of living.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Government recognises the difficulties that carers are facing due to the rising cost of living and values the vital contribution made by carers to society. That is why millions of the most vulnerable households, including carers, will receive at least £1,200 of one-off support in total this year to help with the cost of living.  Nearly 60% of the 1 million working age Carer’s Allowance recipients receive a means-tested benefit, a disability benefit, or both and will therefore benefit from one or both of the £650 Means-Tested Benefit Cost of Living Payment and the £150 disability Cost of Living Payment. Carers with a pensioner in the household will benefit from an extra £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment and carers will benefit from the £400 per household universal support provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. Previously announced measures to help people tackle the cost of living will also benefit carers, including cuts to the Universal Credit (UC) taper rate, cuts to fuel duty, raising the NICs threshold, council tax rebates and the rise in the National Living Wage to £9.50 an hour.For carers that are not eligible for Cost of Living Payments or for those that need additional support, the government is providing an extra £500 million of local support, via the Household Support Fund. The Fund will be extended from this October to March 2023, bringing total funding for the scheme to £1.5 billion.

National Union of Rail Maritime and Transport Workers

Sam Tarry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department last held in-person discussions with the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers.

Helen Whately: The Department for Transport is responsible for the sector where most National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers are employed. The rail disputes are between individual employers and the trade unions, and it would not be prudent for Government to intervene in this relationship. Ministers encourage the unions to keep negotiating with Network Rail and the train operating companies, as the employers, to resolve this dispute. Ministers remain close to discussions that are taking place.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Russia: Translation Services

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the ban on UK persons or entities exporting professional services to Russia applies to translation services offered to Russian cultural news outlets.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if her Department will publish comprehensive guidance on all services banned under the sanctions regime against Russia.

James Cleverly: On 4 May, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs announced a ban on the export of accountancy, consultancy and PR services to Russia. The legislation will set out the scope of these services sectors, and statutory guidance will be provided when the legislation comes in to force. We do not speculate about future sanctions.

Bangladesh: Floods

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support her Department is providing to the Bangladeshi Government in the context of the flooding affecting that country.

Vicky Ford: The UK provided £195,000 to the START Fund Bangladesh in May to help during the first wave of flooding. In response to the most recent wave of flooding, the UK has contributed a further £442,500 to the START Fund. This funding will support the provision of cash assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, search and rescue operations, shelter management and provisional education materials.

Alexander Lebedev

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has received (a) any information and (b) a recommendation from the National Crime Agency on whether sanctions should be imposed on Alexander Lebedev.

James Cleverly: We do not speculate on future designations, or on cross-government discussions on potential targets. To do this could reduce the impact of designations. We have now sanctioned over 1000 individuals, and over 100 businesses since Putin's invasion of Ukraine including oligarchs worth £117 billion. We will not stop targeting Russia's economy until Ukraine prevails. The whole of the UK government, along with our international allies, is working to ensure that happens.

Government Departments: Training

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support language skills and training across Government departments.

Vicky Ford: The FCDO is part of the cross-Whitehall languages group which supports and promotes language learning across government departments. The FCDO makes its language training contracts available to other government departments, allowing them to access our competitively procured services. The FCDO is committed to strengthening the languages skills of its staff, who support the achievement of other government departments' international objectives as part of their work.

Development Aid: Gender Equality

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed in the International Development Strategy.

Vicky Ford: The Foreign Secretary has publicly committed to put women and girls at the heart of foreign and development policy and this is also evident in the newly published International Development Strategy. Our new approach is framed around three Es and will be set out in full in the UK's 2022 Women and Girls Strategy. We will: Educate girls, standing up for the right of every girl to 12 years of quality education; Empower women and girls, unlocking the social, economic and political agency of all people; and End Violence, driving international action to end all forms of gender-based violence. We will mainstream action on gender which means addressing the root causes of gender inequality in all our work. As referenced in the International Development Strategy, the UK International Development Act (Gender Equality) 2014 makes it a legal requirement for the UK to consider gender equality in all its Official Development Assistance work.

Developing Countries: LGBT+ People

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans she has to support local LGBT+ communities in the most challenging contexts in low and middle income countries.

Vicky Ford: The UK is committed to championing LGBT+ rights internationally and supporting those who defend them. Ministers and our overseas missions work closely with partners to advance LGBT+ equality, and promote the implementation of new laws and policies that better protect LGBT+ people from violence and discrimination.Since 2018, the UK committed over £11 million in programmes to support the promotion and protection of LGBT+ rights. On 24 June, the Prime Minister announced a further £2.7 million of UK funding to support LGBT+ grassroots human rights defenders, and advance equality and freedom across the Commonwealth.

Armed Conflict: Civilians

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has plans to publish an updated strategy on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.

Vicky Ford: The UK is firmly committed to promoting the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict and has been at the forefront of initiatives in recent years promoting the issue. The UK Government's policy paper on the UK's Approach to Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict was finalised in March 2020 and reaffirms our commitment to the importance of the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The policy paper provides an update to the UK's national strategy on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, launched in March 2010. The 2010 Strategy continues to guide our approach to the protection of civilians.In addition, the recently launched International Development Strategy commits the UK to protecting the most at risk in situations of conflict and crisis, including civilians.

Ethiopia: Homicide

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she is taking steps to help support an independent investigation by the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia into allegations of civilians being killed by Oromia Liberation Army forces in the Welega zone of Ethiopia on 18 June 2022.

Vicky Ford: The UK is a strong supporter of the work of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, having co-sponsored the resolution mandating its creation at the Special Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in December 2021, and is urging all parties to help facilitate its investigations. It is for the Commission to interpret the scope of its mandate and decide whether it can investigate these events. The UK will continue to support the work of the Commission and of the wider UN in its efforts to ensure that those responsible for these atrocities are held to account.The British Embassy in Addis Ababa will continue to engage with the Government of Ethiopia to highlight the importance of processes to deliver accountability and justice for all incidents of human rights abuses or violations. The UK's Human Rights and Peacebuilding Programme (HARP) is providing support, including to enhance the investigative capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.

Alexander Lebedev

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the statement from the Canadian Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of 20 May 2022, whether she has asked her Canadian counterpart to share their assessment of the reasons for which Alexander Lebedev was deemed to have directly enabled Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and bore responsibility for the suffering of the people of Ukraine when imposing sanctions on him and 14 others on 18 May 2022.

James Cleverly: UK sanctions have been coordinated with international allies, including Canada, to impose severe cost on Putin and his regime. We are acting together, as our collective impact is greater than the sum of its parts. So far the UK has sanctioned over 1000 individuals, and over 100 businesses since Putin's invasion of Ukraine, including oligarchs worth £117 billion.The Government does not comment on our internal assessment processes for sanctions, or speculate who may be designated under the sanctions regime in the future. To do this could reduce the impact of designations. We will continue to work with our international partners ratchet up the pressure on Putin until he withdraws his forces from Ukraine and stops his unjust war of aggression.

Sanctions: Russia

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of financial sanctions imposed by the Government on the Russian regime following the invasion of Ukraine.

James Cleverly: We have now sanctioned over 1000 individuals, and over 100 businesses since Putin's invasion of Ukraine. This includes oligarchs worth £117 billion. We have also implemented freezes on 18 of Russia's major banks with global assets worth £940 billion. In conjunction with our partners, we have supported the removal seven banks from SWIFT and frozen over 60% of Russian Central Bank reserves, worth £275 billion.The full effects of our sanctions will take time to materialise, but these targeted measures are severely restricting Russia's access to finance. They also make it harder for Russia to source imports from around the world, which have fallen by 40% since the invasion, resulting in disruption to Russia's supply chains. Russia is heading for the deepest recession since the collapse of the Soviet Union, deeper than the 2008 global financial crisis.

Armed Conflict: Ukraine

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 21 June to Questions 16866 and 16870, what assessment she has made of the impact of the UK’s reliance on Ukrainian authorities for (a) the collection of antemortem records of missing or at risk UK citizens in Ukraine and (b) the identification of deceased UK citizens in Ukraine, on the effectiveness of future investigations into Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

James Cleverly: It is for the Ukrainian authorities to maintain any necessary records of those missing or at risk in Ukraine and to identify British nationals that pass away on Ukrainian territory. We will be guided by the Ukrainian authorities on their ability to do this within the context of the conflict and for their liaison with relevant HMG departments for such support as they require. The Attorney General led a scoping mission to the region from 8-11 May, to assess how UK Government Departments can work with the Ukrainian Prosecutor General to identify and collect evidence of atrocity crimes, in order to support the effectiveness of future investigations into Russian war crimes.

Ukraine: British Nationals Abroad

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 212 June to Question 16876, what assessment she has made on the applicability of the memorandum of understanding on the repatriation of UK citizens, to the Russian war on Ukraine.

James Cleverly: The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the FCDO, the National Police Chiefs Council, and the Chief Coroner of England & Wales aims to clarify how the signatories will coordinate delivery of their respective functions and responsibilities in relation to deaths resulting from murder, manslaughter, or infanticide of a British national whilst abroad. Deaths overseas that are not being investigated as a homicide by the relevant overseas authorities fall outside the scope of the MoU. However the signatories seek to apply the principles set out within it to offer support to bereaved families where possible.

Russia: Sanctions

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the implications for the effectiveness of the Government's policies on sanctions against Russia of the potential use of proceeds accruing to the National Bank Trust from the sale of properties in the UK.

James Cleverly: We assess that the National Bank Trust is owned by the Central Bank of Russia (CBR). The CBR is subject to a ban on the provision of financial services for the purposes of foreign exchange and asset management.

Strait of Hormuz: Warships

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of reports of a US Navy warship firing a warning flare to wave off an Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboat in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

James Cleverly: We do not routinely comment on intelligence matters or specific threats. The UK is committed to upholding the essential principle of freedom of navigation, in accordance with international law and assuring the safety of shipping in the Middle East region, including through the Strait of Hormuz. The UK is a member of the International Maritime Security Construct which addresses the threat in the region by providing reassurance to commercial shipping and deterring further threats.The UK Government has long been clear about its concerns over the continued destabilising activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The UK maintains a range of sanctions that work to constrain the destabilising activity of the IRGC.

Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the UK will participate as an observer nation at the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons first meeting of state parties; and if will she make a statement.

James Cleverly: The Government does not believe the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) will bring us closer to a world without nuclear weapons. The UK will not sign the Treaty and will not send Observers to the First Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW. The Government firmly believes that the best way to achieve our collective goal of a world without nuclear weapons is through gradual multilateral disarmament negotiated using a step-by-step approach, under the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

France: UEFA

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to her counterpart in the French Government that, in addition to the UEFA inquiry, the French authorities conduct their own investigation into (a) police conduct and (b) security measures during the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final.

James Cleverly: HMG has been clear that the events at the Champions League Final were unacceptable. The Foreign Secretary raised the issue with the French Foreign Minister on 1 June, as did the Sports Minister with his counterpart on 7 June. The French Government has apologised and acknowledged that mistakes were made.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the level of threat posed to UK (a) security and (b) regional interests by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran.

James Cleverly: We do not routinely comment on intelligence matters or specific threats. As we made clear in the 2021 Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, we are committed to addressing growing threats from Iran, as well as other states. We will continue to use all tools at our disposal to protect the UK and our interests from any Iran-linked threats.The UK Government has long been clear about its concerns over the continued destabilising activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This includes IRGC political, financial and military support to a number of militant and proscribed groups including Hizballah in Lebanon and Syria, militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. The UK maintains a range of sanctions that work to constrain the destabilising activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. We regularly raise Iran's destabilising role in the region at UN Security Council.

Sri Lanka: Economic Situation

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effect of the amount of foreign exchange from UK tourism and migrant workers on the economy of Sri Lanka in the last three years.

Vicky Ford: We are closely monitoring the economic situation in Sri Lanka, including foreign exchange data reported by Central Bank of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan authorities. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism was a key export sector for Sri Lanka, making up almost 30% of total export revenues. However, Sri Lanka's tourism receipts declined by almost 80% in 2020 and fell by a further 60% in 2021. The UK is a key contributor to Sri Lanka's tourism sector. Remittances from overseas workers have also been an important contributor to Sri Lanka's economy in the past three years, worth around 8% and 9% of Sri Lanka's total GDP in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Despite initially remaining constant in 2020, remittances fell by over 20% in 2021, down to their lowest levels since 2011.The UK recognises the difficult economic situation and welcomes the start in-depth discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on reforms needed to bring the economy back to a sustainable path. The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe on 30 May, and underlined the UK's continued support for the people of Sri Lanka during their current economic difficulties.

Ministry of Defence

Defence Fire and Rescue Service: Staff

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff worked at the Defence Fire and Rescue service in each year since 2010.

Jeremy Quin: The data to answer the right hon. Gentleman's question needs to be collected from multiple sources. I will write to him in due course and place a copy of my response in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and War Pensions

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to (a) strengthen (i) communication and (ii) digitisation and (b) reduce clearance times for War Pension and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claims.

Leo Docherty: Defence Business Services is working hard to address feedback from Veterans to improve its communications around the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Schemes. This includes the rolling out of customer journey maps that explain the end-to-end process for AFCS and WPS claims, which are readily available on gov.uk. at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/learning-from-our-experiences-together Further supporting products are in development with the next set being a series of short, how-to videos on making a claim that will be published on YouTube. The ongoing £40 million Transformation Programme to digitise existing paper based processes and create a single customer portal for veterans aims to introduce automation, processing improvements and significantly reduce paper holdings. The first release of the new system is expected in late 2023. This will underpin the customer portal, which is being developed concurrently. This will enable claimants to provide and retrieve information electronically and allow them to securely access details of their entitlement and payments. Clearance times for AFCS and WPS claims have generally been falling with average clearance time for AFCS at the end of May 2022 being 86 working days against a Key Performance Indicator of 90 working days. Average Clearance times for WPS claims had been falling each month since January, but rose to 132 working days in May, breaking the KPI of 127 working days for the first time since February after a high percentage of older cases were cleared.

Ministry of Defence: Consultants

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on (a) management and (b) other consultancy fees in each year since 2017.

Jeremy Quin: The Department maintains a central record of overall Consultancy expenditure although not by the categories referenced in the right hon. Member's question. The Department discloses this expenditure as part of our Annual Report and Accounts (ARAC) and for ease of reference the values reported for all Consultancy since 2016 are as follows: FY2020-21 £109.668 million [ARAC 20/21 page 171] FY2019-20 £98.080 million [ARAC 20/21 page 171] FY2018-19 £116.914 million [ARAC 19/20 page 126] FY2017-18 £49.955 million [ARAC 18/19 page 147] FY2016-17 £60.500 million [ARAC 16/17 page 113]

Ministry of Defence: Consultants

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on external consultants in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Quin: The Department maintains a central record of overall Consultancy expenditure which is disclosed as part of the Annual Report and Accounts (ARAC) and for ease of reference the values reported for all Consultancy since 2016 are as follows:  FY2020-21 £109.668 million [ARAC 20/21 page 171] FY2019-20 £98.080 million [ARAC 20/21 page 171] FY2018-19 £116.914 million [ARAC 19/20 page 126] FY2017-18 £49.955 million [ARAC 18/19 page 147] FY2016-17 £60.500 million [ARAC 16/17 page 113]

Ajax Vehicles: Testing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans trials on the Ajax armoured vehicle programme to resume.

Jeremy Quin: Investigations continue into the effectiveness of the internal communications system. User validation trials will resume once the data has been fully reviewed and understood and the safety panel is satisfied that it is right to do so.

Army: Officers

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of Army personnel hold the rank of major or higher as of 27 June 2022.

Leo Docherty: As at 1 April 2022, 9.0% of Regular Trade Trained Army personnel held the Paid Rank of Major or above (6,580 out of 73,310 Regular Trade Trained personnel). These numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.These figures are for the Trade Trained Regular Army only and therefore exclude Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, Army Reserve and all other Reserves, but includes those personnel that have transferred from Gurkha Trained Adult Male (GTAM) to UK Trained Army Personnel (UKTAP). Figures as at 1 April 2022 have been provided, in line with the most recently published Service Personnel Statistics (SPS).

Agnes Wanjiru

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made by the Royal Military Police on supporting Kenyan detectives investigating the potential involvement of British soldiers in the death of Agnes Wanjiru in Kenya in 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Leo Docherty: Jurisdiction for the investigation lies with the Kenyan authorities. The Royal Military Police (RMP) are proactively engaged with the Kenyan Police Service (KPS) to support and assist their investigation and, where appropriate and requested to do so, undertake investigative actions on behalf of the KPS. A number of formal and informal discussions have taken place, however, to protect the sanctity of the investigation and the interest of justice, we will not comment in detail on activity.

Armed Forces and Veterans: Cost of Living

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to help support armed forces (a) personnel, (b) veterans, and (c) families in the context of the rise in the cost of living.

Leo Docherty: The Armed Forces' community, like everyone else, is subject to the effects of inflationary and cost of living pressures. Defence has frozen the daily food charge for our Armed Forces personnel and has capped accommodation charges at one per cent. We are also ensuring that the council tax rebate reaches those in military accommodation, and increasing the availability of free wraparound childcare at the start of the new academic year.Support for veterans is provided by a number of Government Departments and is overseen by the Office for Veterans' Affairs within the Cabinet Office. Officials at Veterans UK will process Winter Fuel Payments for eligible veterans whose only government-paid income is from a War Disablement Pension. Through its Veterans Welfare Service, Veterans UK provides one-to-one welfare support and advice to veterans or anyone supporting a veteran, their families and dependants.

Armed Forces: Pay

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2022 to Question 13049 on Armed Forces: Pay, when he expects to receive the Armed Forces Pay Review Body's recommendation for 2022-23.

Leo Docherty: The Government is considering the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body and will respond as soon as is practicable.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department first made 550 Service Family Accommodation units available for Afghans relocated to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

Leo Docherty: 550 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) units were made available for Afghans relocated to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) in three tranches, the details of which can be found below: MonthSFA units made available August 202150September 202150October 2021Up to 450

Horn of Africa: Piracy

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of piracy incidents in the (a) Gulf of Aden, (b) Guardafui Channel and (c) Somali Sea, in the last three years.

James Heappey: There have been no formal piracy events (according to the definition specified in UNCLOS) reported to us since 2019 in the areas mentioned. Whilst any act of Piracy remains a concern, we continue to work with international partners to counter piracy. Events are 'defined' based solely on the information reported to us by Industry or other reporting bodies.

Eastern Europe: Armed Forces

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating permanent garrisons in Eastern Europe in collaboration with allies outside of the already existing Nato enhanced forward presence.

James Heappey: The UK is the Framework Nation for NATO's enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in Estonia, currently providing a permanent Headquarters and two Battle Groups to Estonia. UK Personnel are also deployed in the US led eFP in Poland. NATO leaders have agreed to strengthen the Alliance's deterrence and defence posture, and the forthcoming NATO summit will bolster the Eastern flank and ensure every inch of allied territory is defended. Permanent personnel contributions to NATO countries will be considered by Allies as NATO's Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area (DDA) is developed, and any contributions will be aligned with SACEUR's regional plans. The UK will continue to work and exercise extensively with Eastern European Allies and partners going forward, both through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force.

Fleet Solid Support Ships: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his speech at the Atlantic Future Forum on October 2021, what his policy is on UK involvement in the Fleet Solid Support Ship contract.

Jeremy Quin: The Government's policy on UK involvement in the manufacture of the Fleet Solid Support ships remains unchanged. It is an objective of the Fleet Solid Support ship competition to deliver UK social value in recognition of the opportunities for prosperity and levelling-up that the programme presents, maximising the social value contribution shipbuilding can make. This includes encouraging investment whilst balancing the need for value for money and a fully compliant solution. The final contract for the manufacture of the fleet solid support ships will be awarded to a UK business, either solely or as part of a consortium. We have been clear that a significant proportion of the build work will be carried out in the UK.

European Fighter Aircraft

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish a table, taking into account any remaining penalty factors, identifying (a) the tail numbers of all tranche one, two and three Typhoon aircraft, (b) their flight hours used and (c) their flight hours remaining.

Jeremy Quin: Tail numbers for Tranche One, Tranche Two and Tranche Three aircraft in the Typhoon fleet are given in the following/attached table:  Tranche 1ZJ910ZJ911ZJ912ZJ913ZJ914ZJ915ZJ916ZJ917ZJ918ZJ919ZJ920ZJ921ZJ923ZJ924ZJ925ZJ926ZJ927ZJ928ZJ929ZJ930ZJ931ZJ932ZJ933ZJ934ZJ935ZJ936ZJ937ZJ939ZJ941ZJ942Tranche2ZJ944ZJ945ZJ946ZJ947ZJ948ZJ949ZJ950ZK300ZK301ZK302ZK303ZK304ZK305ZK306ZK307ZK308ZK309ZK310ZK311ZK312ZK313ZK314ZK315ZK316ZK317ZK318ZK319ZK320ZK321ZK322ZK323ZK324ZK325ZK326ZK327ZK328ZK329ZK330ZK331ZK332ZK333ZK334ZK335ZK336ZK337ZK338ZK339ZK340ZK341ZK342ZK343ZK344ZK345ZK346ZK347ZK348ZK349ZK350ZK351ZK352ZK353ZK354ZK379ZK380ZK381ZK382ZK383   Tranche 3ZK355ZK356ZK357ZK358ZK359ZK360ZK361ZK362ZK363ZK364ZK365ZK366ZK367ZK368ZK369ZK370ZK371ZK372ZK373ZK374ZK375ZK376ZK377ZK378ZK424ZK425ZK426ZK427ZK428ZK429ZK430ZK431ZK432ZK433ZK434ZK435ZK436ZK437ZK438ZK439  However, I am withholding details of flying hours used and remaining for individual aircraft as its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Standards

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps her Department has taken to help ensure accuracy in the payment of benefits.

David Rutley: DWP takes significant steps to ensure the accuracy of benefit payments. Our Enhanced Checking Service, a team of trained fraud specialists, look at suspicious cases referred to them by benefit processing staff, which helps prevent fraud from occurring at the outset of a claim. Our Integrated Risk & Intelligence Service (IRIS) detects and prevents emerging frauds, which allows our various Disrupt Teams to respond to threats. We revisited over 900,000 Universal Credit (UC) claims paid under ‘Trust and Protect’ procedures during the early days of the pandemic. Additionally, building on what we have learnt during the pandemic, we are currently creating a dedicated team to deliver targeted case reviews of existing Universal Credit claims. We are expecting to review over 2 million cases over the next 5 years, stopping around £2 billion of losses due to fraud and error over that period. We increasingly draw on data to help inform benefit payments and the use of HMRC’s Real Time Information has almost eradicated PAYE earnings fraud in UC. We have extended this principle across a range of legacy benefits by way of our Verify Earnings and Pensions (VEP) service. The Department maintains rigorous control of Official Error via its Quality AssuranceFramework, which provides assurance that the necessary quality controls are in place.An Independent Quality and Assurance Team checks transactions conducted within DWP benefits and this insight informs training requirements, infrastructure improvements and risk management. A senior stakeholder group, comprising of Directors, oversees the quality agenda. UC Official Error overpayments have fallen in each of the last 3 years, from 2.1% of UC expenditure in 2018/19 to 0.7% in 2021/22.

Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department monitors the performance of providers completing medical assessments for Personal Independence Claims; and whether she has taken steps in response to poor performance or customer service in the last five years.

Chloe Smith: It might be helpful to explain that the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment is not a medical assessment as it does not require the Health Professional (HP) to diagnose a condition and to recommend treatment options. Instead, it requires the HP to look at the impact the condition or impairment has on an individuals’ daily life. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) manages the PIP contracts robustly and have a full set of service level agreements setting out our expectations for service delivery. We ensure a high standard is maintained, having an Independent Audit function that continually monitors performance, and provides feedback to its providers. The contracts allow us to recover any financial loss caused by poor performance, and we have the right to terminate the contract if there is sustained underperformance.The department has worked continuously to drive improvements in the assessment service and providers have introduced a number of steps to increase performance across their services. This includes new or enhanced systems of assessment report quality checks, to improve the quality of advice the department receives. In addition, PIP assessment reports have been redesigned to have clearer justifications, which support improved benefit decision making.PIP assessment providers have consistently exceeded their customer satisfaction target scores of 90% since the measure began in 2016.

Universal Credit: Overpayments

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) impact on claimants of the requirement for all overpayments to be collected from Universal Credit claimants in the context of the proportion of claimants who are having a collection for an overpayment applied.

David Rutley: DWP has a responsibility to the taxpayer to recover any monies overpaid to benefit claimants and to do so in the most efficient way possible. Last year, working with Local Authorities, we recovered £1.0 billion of overpaid benefit.Recovery from benefit remains the most efficient source of recovery, with 90% of debt recovered this way in 2021-22. However, we recognise the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt and legislation protects claimants from excessive deductions. This means there are limits set for individual deductions. In Universal Credit the overall deduction cap is set at 25% of the standard allowance, having been reduced from 40%.Additionally, any deductions from benefit are prioritised which means that 3rd party deductions to help pay utility or rent arrears (for example) take precedence over overpayment recovery deductions.Anyone experiencing hardship with repayments is encouraged to contact DWP DebtManagement to negotiate a reduction in their rate of repayment, or a temporary suspension of repayment, depending on financial circumstances.We remain an active participant in Breathing Space, launched in May 2021 as part of The Debt Respite Scheme to support debtors struggling to cope with problem debt. We also signpost customers to trusted partners, who can provide impartial money and debt advice.

Children: Maintenance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made a recent assessment of the level of risk of incorrect child maintenance calculations being made as a result of fraudulent informal arrangements relating to other children.

Guy Opperman: The Child Maintenance Group keeps the risk of fraud within its business under review, and any cases [where it seems likely fraud has occurred] are investigated. Where fraud is found in informal arrangements relating to other children, the investigation staff may support a new maintenance assessment or use other criminal powers as necessary.

Question

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the financial criteria for eligibility for the Social Fund Funeral Payment scheme; and what was the average proportion of funeral costs that this scheme covered in the last 12 months.

Guy Opperman: The Funeral Expenses Payments (FEP) scheme provides an important contribution towards the cost of a simple, respectful funeral arranged by someone who is in receipt of certain income related benefits or tax credits. The scheme meets the necessary costs of a burial or cremation in full and offers up to £1000 to meet other funeral expenses such as, the cost of a coffin, church and funeral director fees. In April 2020, we increased the maximum amount families can claim for these additional costs by 43%, from £700 to £1000, providing vital financial support to families grieving the loss of a loved one. The average FEP award in 2020/21 was £1,838, while the average cost of a cremation was £3,765 and average cost for a burial funeral was £4,927. (Costs vary significantly by region).

Employment: Autism

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to support young people with autism into work.

Chloe Smith: Employment support is a transferred matter in Northern Ireland. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to supporting young people with learning disabilities and/or autism move closer to the labour market or into work, and we have a number of initiatives to support people with Autism through Jobcentres across Great Britain. The DWP Youth Offer provides intensive support through the Youth Employment Programme, Youth Employability Coaches for young people with additional barriers to work, and Youth hubs. Our Work Coaches and Youth Employability Coaches are supported by Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) who offer advice and expertise on how best to help disabled people into work. DWP has been working with the National Autistic Society to design and develop a service delivery framework for people with Autism. The service delivery framework aims to transform the service available to jobseekers on the autism spectrum. This trial is now complete with all 15 sites having passed their accreditation test. We are considering how best to take the Jobcentre Plus Autism Accreditation forward. For those learning disabled and autistic people who do find themselves excluded from the workplace, starting this Autumn, DWP will invest £7.2 million in Local Supported Employment services, working with around 20 Local Authorities to enable more social care users with a learning disability and autistic social care users to access the support needed to help them get into work and remain in employment. Furthermore, Young people with Autism can access further employment support through Jobcentres including priority access to the Work and Health Programme in England and Wales, for people with health conditions, and Intensive Personalised Employment Support provision across the UK, which provides highly personalised packages of employment support for disabled people and people with health conditions who require specialist support to achieve sustained employment. Access to Work is also available, which is a demand-led discretionary grant scheme that provides funding for the extra disability-related costs people have when starting work or maintaining employment. Additionally, Supported Internships are aimed at young people with a learning disability or autism who have an Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plan. Supported internships usually last for 12 months and provide support from a specialist job coach. Whilst the Department for Education lead on this in England, the Department for Work and Pensions provides support through Access to Work where needed.

Carer's Allowance: Cost of Living

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will take steps to ensure that carers who are in receipt of Carer’s Allowance who do not live at the same address as the person they care for receive the £150 cost of living payment in recognition of the additional caring costs they face.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has plans to extend the £650 cost of living payment to carers who are in receipt of Carer’s Allowance but are under state pension age and do not receive a means tested benefit.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help ensure that carers can meet their monthly expenses.

Chloe Smith: This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers every day in providing significant care and continuity of support to family and friends, including pensioners and those with disabilities. The weekly rate of Carer’s Allowance increased to £69.70 in April 2022. This means that since 2010 it has increased from £53.90 to £69.70 a week, providing an additional £800 a year for carers through Carer’s Allowance. Real terms expenditure on Carer’s Allowance in 2022/23 is forecast to be £3.4bn and between 2022/23 and 2026/27 is forecast to increase by just over a third (around £1.2 billion). By 2026/27, the Government is forecast to spend just over £4.5 billion a year on Carer’s Allowance. Carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £168.81 per monthly assessment period, and the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit is £38.85 per week.   Around 405,000 (Feb 2022 data) carer households on Universal Credit can already receive around an additional £2,000 a year through the Carer Element. Nearly 60% of carers on low incomes who are of working age and on Carer’s Allowance claim an income-related benefit through which they will be entitled to receive a £650 Cost of Living Payment (split over two instalments - the first one of £326 payable from 14 July). The £650 Cost of Living payment is being targeted at low income households who are in receipt of a means-tested income replacement benefit. There are no plans to amend the qualifying benefits for the Cost of Living Payment or to introduce payments for higher income households over and above what has already been announced. Six million people in receipt of an eligible disability benefit will also receive the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment. This includes carers who are themselves in receipt of a qualifying benefit. All Carer’s Allowance recipients who are domestic energy customers will receive a £400 rebate through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. All Carer’s Allowance recipients in England who pay Council Tax should have received a £150 rebate. In addition to support people who need additional help, the Government is providing an extra £500 million of local support. In England this will be via the Household Support Fund, which will be extended from this October to March 2023 backed by £421m. The Household Support Fund helps those in most need with payments towards the rising cost of food, energy, and water bills. The government will issue additional guidance to Local Authorities to ensure support is targeted towards those most in need of support, including those not eligible for the Cost of Living Payments.

Pension Credit

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people received Pension Credit in the 2020-21 financial year.

Guy Opperman: Estimates for the number of people eligible for Pension Credit are only available at the Great Britain level and are available in the “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up” publication which can be found on the statistics section of gov.uk. The latest publication relates to the financial year 2019 to 2020. Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2019 to 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The Department for Communities is responsible for Pension Credit in Northern Ireland. Estimates for the number of people eligible for Pension Credit in Northern Ireland are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/northern-ireland-benefit-statistics-summary-february-2021

Support for Mortgage Interest

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of changing the Support for Mortgage Interest loan system to a means-tested benefit system.

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of restoring Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) to a means-tested benefits system in place of the current loan system.

David Rutley: No assessment has been made of changing Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans to a means-tested benefit system.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Clothing: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the global fashion industry's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he will take to work with COP26 partners to reduce emissions from the global fashion industry.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that the UK fashion sector reduces its stake in overseas emissions.

Jo Churchill: The Government’s Net Zero Strategy sets out policies and proposals for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy to meet our net zero target by 2050. The fashion and textiles industry is estimated to account for between 4% and 8% of global emissions. More than 70% of these emissions occur during the production of a garment. Emissions of air pollutants from textiles treatment facilities are controlled through environmental permits, using best available techniques (BAT). Operators must not exceed limits on allowable emissions. The Government's Resources & Waste Strategy for England identified textiles as a priority sector for action. We fund Textiles 2030, a voluntary partnership with industry to reduce the environmental impact of textiles, with signatories covering over 62% of all clothing put on the UK market. This programme is underpinned by ambitious science-based targets, including halving the carbon footprint of new products and reducing the water footprint by 30%, both by 2030. This initiative is driving forward action on design, circular business models and recycling. We are considering what wider framework of policy measures could best help reduce the environmental footprint of fashion, potentially using a range of powers from our landmark Environment Act 2021.

Animal Welfare

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the findings of the Animal Kindness Index 2022 published by the RSPCA and SSPCA.

Jo Churchill: The Government shares the public’s high regard for animal welfare seen in this survey and we are committed to the protection of animals. The Action Plan for Animal Welfare demonstrates this Government's commitment to a brighter future for animals and upholds the public values seen in the RSPCA and SSPCA survey. This Government has recently delivered the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, measures to tackle illegal hare coursing in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, and also supported the recent Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, Animals (Penalty Notices) Act 2022, and Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022. The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill has been reintroduced this session and will go even further to strengthen our animal welfare legislation.

Horticulture: Peat

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of steps needed to facilitate access to alternatives to peat for use in horticulture.

Rebecca Pow: Since we agreed the voluntary commitment to phase out the use of peat with the horticultural industry in 2011, many peat-free alternatives have been introduced to the market and some are readily available. However, we know that these products will need to be scaled up to meet demand, and that there might be some specific plants where alternatives are still under development.We are currently analysing the responses from our recent consultation and call for evidence on ending the sale of peat and peat-containing products in horticulture, to add to our understanding of any challenges and opportunities regarding peat-free alternatives. We are also continuing to work with the industry to understand the support they will require to make the transition. This includes the funding of research to help underpin the development and management of alternative growing media in the professional sector. We will publish our response to the consultation as soon as possible.

Flood Control: Bolton South East

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress has been made on the Riverside Drive project in Bolton South East constituency.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency (EA) and its consultants remain committed to understanding how flood risk can be most effectively managed in the communities of Prestolee and Stonecloug. The EA continues to work towards developing a preferred option. Engineering challenges regarding ground conditions, proximity of houses to bank top and any potential future flood wall have meant that the design process has unfortunately taken longer than expected. The EA has recently undertaken further modelling works and finalised the ground investigation report which has provided a better understanding of the ground conditions in the area. Using this information, the EA is continuing to work with its consultants and contractors to develop a constructible and affordable solution. Consultants have also recently conducted a number of environmental surveys at the site including a Biodiversity Net Gain baseline survey.

Horticulture: Peat

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's timetable is for publishing its response to the consultation on Ending the retail sale of peat in horticulture in England and Wales, which closed on 18 March 2022.

Rebecca Pow: We received over 5,600 responses to the consultation on ending the sale of peat and peat containing products in horticulture. Officials are currently reviewing the responses and accompanying evidence. We will publish our response shortly.

Imports: Tree Planting

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has undertaken an assessment of the potential merits of an earned recognition trusted trader imports system for the professional tree and plant growers.

Victoria Prentis: We will publish a Target Operating Model in the autumn (2022) that will set out how and when we will introduce an improved global regime of all border import controls. It will be based on a further assessment of risk and will harness the power of data and technology. We are working with stakeholders to develop these proposals. This includes looking at the role a trusted trader scheme might play in the plant health control system, which applies to the import of trees, plants and plant products.

Horticulture

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that tree and plant growers are globally competitive and able to meet demand.

Victoria Prentis: We have already made £1 million available to UK nurseries and seed suppliers through the Tree Production Innovation Fund to encourage the adoption of innovative technologies and ways of working in the nursery sector. We have also opened a new Tree Production Capital Grant, providing capital support to modernise facilities and improve the quantity, quality, diversity, and biosecurity of sapling supply. These actions are fulfilling commitments made in the England Trees Action Plan, highlighting the vital role of these sectors to support our ambitions on tree planting, woodland creation and management. With production of ornamentals being worth £1.4 billion in the UK at farm-gate in 2020, the Government recognises the importance of the ornamental horticultural industry sector both to local economies and to people's well-being. Defra meets regularly with the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group (OHRG), who last year published their ‘Unlocking green growth: A plan from the ornamental horticulture & landscaping industry’. This identifies how barriers to the sector’s growth can be unlocked through a collaborative approach between government and industry. We are currently working with the OHRG on the opportunities outlined in their plan to accelerate the sector's growth.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Consultants

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent on consultancy fees in the last five years.

Victoria Prentis: The provisional consultancy spend for 2021-22 is £26.970m for the Core Department and Agencies. The department’s spend on consultancy is published each year in the Annual Report and Accounts. 2020-21https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021 (page 100) 2019-20https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2019-to-2020 (page 87) 2018-19https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-2019 (page 64) 2017-18https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-to-2018 (page 51)

Flood Control

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many water companies and local authorities have published joint plans to manage surface water flood risk as recommended in Surface water management: A government update, Next steps on building infrastructure resilience.

Rebecca Pow: Councils and water companies have to produce two plans to help mitigate surface water flood risk and the Government expects them to produce these in collaboration. All Lead Local Flood Authorities must have a local flood risk plan in place, which we understand they all do. Under the Environment Act 2021 there is a new duty on water companies to produce comprehensive Drainage and Sewerage Management Plans. The first plans are expected in spring 2023.Drainage and Sewerage Management Plans are not being produced uniquely to tackle surface water flood risk but will help with the issue.

Sheep: Dogs

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) allowing farmers to shoot dogs that attack sheep and (b) allowing dog owners to train dogs not to attack sheep using electronic collars.

Victoria Prentis: The Government takes the issue of livestock worrying very seriously, recognising the distress this can cause farmers and animals, as well as the financial implications, which can be very significant. New measures to crack down on livestock worrying in England and Wales are to be brought in through the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, which was introduced in Parliament on 8 June 2021. The new measures will enhance enforcement mechanisms available to the police and expand the scope of livestock species and locations covered by the law. Improved powers will enable the police to respond to livestock worrying incidents more effectively – making it easier for them to collect evidence and, in the most serious cases, seize and detain dogs to reduce the risk of further incidents. The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill does not include a provision to allow a farmer to shoot a dog which is worrying livestock on their land. However the Animals Act 1971 provides that in civil proceedings against a person for killing or injuring a dog, it is a defence in certain circumstances where a dog is killed or injured by someone protecting livestock. The proposed ban on the use of electric shock collars controlled by hand-held devices was developed after considering a broad range of factors, including the effects of such a ban. When considered alongside the academic research, the public consultation responses, and direct engagement with the sector, the Government concluded that these devices present a risk to the welfare of dogs and cats and that their use should be prohibited. We appreciate that the right approach for pet owners to take in managing and controlling their dog’s behaviour differs from both person to person and from pet to pet. Defra would advise all owners who are concerned about controlling their dog’s behaviour, for whatever reason, to take advice from their vet or a suitably qualified dog behaviourist or trainer. Such specialists would be best positioned to advise on the best approach for their specific case. The Animal Behaviour and Training Council maintains national registers of appropriately qualified trainers and behaviourists which can be found at the link below: https://abtc.org.uk/practitioners/. Defra’s statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs and Natural England’s refreshed version of the Countryside Code apply to handling dogs in the vicinity of livestock and outline the actions that can be taken by dog owners to reduce the occurrence of attacks or chasing.

Joint Unit for Waste Crime

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2022 to Question 18812, on Joint Unit for Waste Crime, what the meaning of associated arrests is.

Jo Churchill: 'Associated arrests' relates to arrests carried out by other agencies during the investigation, but as a direct result of the activity either at the location of the intervention or as a result of intelligence gained during the intervention. For example, by the police for offences including theft, handling stolen goods, etc.

Home Office

Home Office: Consultants

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2017.

Rachel Maclean: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Interviews

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time it takes is between an asylum seeker applying for an initial screening interview and them receiving one.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion asylum seekers have been been allocated an initial screening appointment as of 24 June 2022.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Finance

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of asylum seekers awaiting an initial screening interview are in receipt of section 98 support.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many ECAA applicants awaiting a decision have been waiting for longer than the standard service provision as of 23 June 2022.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

National Cyber Force

Rob Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress her Department has made on the establishment of a new national cyber crime force; and what recent steps her Department has taken to provide the police with new technologies to help reduce crime.

Damian Hinds: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Terrorism

Rob Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, what steps she has taken to improve the (a) safety and (b) security of public venues.

Damian Hinds: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Police: Bolton

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers were based in (a) Bolton South East constituency and (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in each year since 2010.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales on a biannual basis in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)These data are collected by Police Force Area only, and lower levels of geography, such as Parliamentary Constituencies or Metropolitan Boroughs are not collected. Data on the number of police officers in Greater Manchester Police, on both a full-time equivalent (FTE) and a headcount basis, as at 31 March each year since 2007 are available in the Open Data Tables that accompany the release here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1005761/open-data-table-police-workforce-280721.odsThe next release of ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’, which will cover the situation as at March 2022, is scheduled for release on Wednesday 27th July.While the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin remains the key measure of the size of the police workforce, throughout the duration of the Police Officer Uplift Programme, the Home Office also publishes a quarterly update on the number of officers (headcount only) in England and Wales by Police Force Area. The latest release contains provisional headcount figures for 31 March 2022, which are available here: Police Officer uplift statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

101 Calls

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department are taking to reduce waiting times on the 101 non-emergency line.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of delays in answering calls to the 101 non emergency line on reporting of anti-social behaviour.

Kit Malthouse: Police forces are operationally independent and the handling of 101 calls is a matter for them. It is for Chief Constables and elected Police and Crime Commissioners or Mayors to decide how to handle communications with the public, based on their experience and knowledge of the communities they serve.However, the Home Office is clear that any call to the 101 number should be answered in a timely manner, and after providing details of the incident the caller should be given a crime reference number to track progress or request an update from the police on the case. In its Beating Crime Plan the Government committed to improving the responsiveness of local police to 101 and 999 calls by developing league tables for call answering times and ensuring that the public know how responsive their local force is when they call them for help.On 31 May we published national data on answering times to 999 calls and later this year we are planning to publish performance data for all forces showing responsiveness to 101 calls.The Home Office is making sure that the police have the resources they need to beat crime, which remains one of the Government’s top priorities.This includes £14m in funding to the NPCC’s Digital Public Contact Programme to support delivery of the Single Online Home national policing digital platform. This provides a digital 101 service, an online facility to make it easier for victims of ASB to report incidents.

Motorcycles: Anti-social Behaviour

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of off road bike use in incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to raise the cost to recover an off road bike after it has been seized by the police.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of amending Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 to include vehicles which transport illegal off road bikes.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department will take to help ensure that (a) all off road bikes are registered and (b) all owners of those types of bikes are identifiable.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking ensure all off road bikes are registered to new owners when ownership is transferred.

Kit Malthouse: The Government recognises that misuse of off-road bikes can cause nuisance and distress to communities. The Minister for Safeguarding set out the Government’s approach to dealing with this problem in an adjournment debate on 20 June 2022. Data on the number of incidents is not held centrally.Between May and September 2021, the Government held a consultation seeking views on new levels of fees applied to the removal and storage of vehicles under the Police Reform Act 2002 in England and Wales. The consultation also sought views on whether aspects of the regulations and legislation are adequate to provide a sustainable service for vehicle recovery. However, the consultation did not include plans to amend the Section 59 powers. We will shortly announce the next steps following our consultation.The Government does not believe that the introduction of a mandatory registration scheme for off-road quad bikes would be the most effective way to tackle dangerous and anti-social use. It would also place a burden and cost on law abiding citizens who would be most impacted by the requirements.We will continue to support the police to enforce road traffic legislation and will use every available measure to confront the scourge of antisocial behaviour.

Police: Pensions

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the status of the Police Pension Scheme changes are as of 21 June 2022; and whether the Pensions Ombudsman has been involved in that process.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is taking steps to remove discrimination on the grounds of age. This is associated with the transitional protection arrangements and linked to the 2015 pension reforms, which was identified by the courts.Since 1 April 2022, all police officers who continue in service do so as members of the 2015 police pension scheme. The Government is undertaking work to enable eligible pension scheme members to choose, at retirement, to receive legacy pension scheme benefits or benefits equivalent to those available under the 2015 pension scheme for service between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022. The Government intends that the provisions for this deferred choice underpin will be implemented by 1 October 2023.   The Pensions Ombudsman has been regularly updated on the development of the Government plans to remedy the identified age discrimination. The Pensions Ombudsman has not considered the case of any particular individuals affected as this would not be appropriate while the issue is the subject of legal proceedings before the Employment Tribunal.

Travellers: Trespass

Rob Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to (a) help tackle unauthorised encampments established by travellers, (b) introduce new powers for the police to seize (i) vehicles and (ii) other property owned by people who trespass and (c) make intentional trespass a criminal offence.

Kit Malthouse: The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which received Royal Assent in April, strengthened the police’s powers to arrest and seize the vehicles and other property of those who set up unauthorised encampments and cause damage, disruption or distress.The measures also extend the powers of the police to direct trespassers to leave land.

Police: Per Capita Costs

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the average spending, per head, on police in (a) Bolton South East constituency, (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, (c) the North West and (d) England in each year since 2010.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office does not hold figures below the level of Police Force Area.On the 2nd February 2022, the Government published a total police funding settlement of up to £16.9 billion in 2022/23, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to 2021/22.Lancashire’s funding will be up to £343.7m in 2022/23, an increase of up to £17.9m when compared to 2021/22.Operational decisions, including those on local priorities, remain the responsibility of Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioner’s.We recognise that the current police funding formula is out of date and no longer accurately reflects demand on policing. We are committed to introducing a new formula that fairly and transparently distributes the circa £8.6bn of annual core grant funding to the 43 police forces in England and Wales.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Rob Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has taken recent steps to strengthen the accountability of Police and Crime Commissioners; what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Police and Crime Commissioner position since it was established; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: In March 2022 we completed a two-part Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Review, delivering on the manifesto commitment to strengthen and expand the role of PCCs. Ten years on from the introduction of the PCC model, it is right to have stepped back and evaluated the role of PCCs to ensure we can continue to evolve the model.Recommendations from the Review will sharpen local accountability, improve transparency and enhance the public’s ability to hold their PCC to account for their record on reducing crime.The package of reforms will also ensure that PCCs have the necessary tools and levers to cut crime in their local areas; turning the dial on their involvement in the criminal justice system, including establishing the foundations for a greater role in offender management; improving their levers in local partnerships; and increasing their access to criminal justice data.We are working closely with our partners to implement these important reforms as quickly as possible, including legislating when parliamentary time allows.Recommendations from Part One of the review were announced to Parliament on 16 March 2021 here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-03-16/debates/21031653000006/PoliceAndCrimeCommissionerReviewConcludingPartOne.Recommendations from Part Two of the review were announced to Parliament on 7 March 2022 here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2022-03-07/hcws664.

Forensic Science: Laboratories

Rob Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to establish a National Crime Laboratory.

Kit Malthouse: Establishing a National Crime and Justice Laboratory is part of the Government’s ambition to make better use of data in the fight against crime.We are working closely with stakeholders from across the Criminal Justice System to deliver this manifesto commitment. This has included a project working with stakeholders and suppliers to explore the technical requirements needed to underpin its development.

Home Office: Visits Abroad

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on the circumstances in which close protection could be declined by Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs during an overseas visit.

Damian Hinds: It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on matters of protective security. To do so could compromise the integrity of those arrangements and affect the security of the individuals concerned.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the time taken to process visas for Ukrainian refugees under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme; and what the average time for a visa to be issued is as of 24 June 2022.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to expedite the processing of visas for Ukrainian refugees under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for visas under the Homes for Ukraine scheme have been withdrawn by the applicant in England since the commencement of that scheme.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office constantly monitors and evaluates processes and is working hard to consider applications for the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine Scheme as quickly as possible.Since 11 May, customers have been able to use the UK Immigration: ID check app to prove their identity if they have a valid Ukrainian international passport removing the need to attend a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to enrol biometric information.Information on the number of visas granted and those withdrawn under the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme can be found in our published data on the GOV.UK webpage: Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Asylum: Electronic Tagging

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2022 to Question 21222 on Asylum: Electronic Tagging, what the estimated cost to the public purse is of the pilot programme establishing whether electronic monitoring is an effective way to improve and maintain regular contact management with asylum claimants who arrive in the UK in order to progress their immigration case.

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Answer of 23 June to Question 21222, what the estimated cost to the public purse is of the pilot scheme to electronically monitor asylum claimants who arrive in the UK per person, per month.

Kevin Foster: The estimated cost for the pilot is £5.942m. This is an allocated sum for the duration of the pilot and not an annual budget. It will be reviewed at the conclusion of the pilot.Given the uncertainty on the exact number of individuals who will be suitable for tagging and the duration in which they will be subject to electronic monitoring, we are unable to provide a breakdown of costs at this time.

Migrants

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applicants who had leave to remain in the UK renewed applied successfully for a Change of Conditions in the same quarter in each quarter since 2017.

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people had their leave to remain in the UK renewed and consequently no longer had the No Recourse to Public Funds condition applied to them in each quarter of the last five years.

Kevin Foster: Following previous questions and the commitment given to UK Statistics Authority (UKSA), Change of Conditions information is now part of the transparency data which can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-and-protection-data-q1-2022The relevant data is in tab CoC_01.The department is committed to further explore data availability on No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). The published correspondence between the Home Office and UK Statistics Authority sets out our proposals for further work to investigate data on migrant poverty.

Migrant Workers: Wind Power

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Border Force on the potential implications of extending the Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017 from 2 July 2022 to 31 October 2022.

Kevin Foster: We regularly review all policies and concessions, engaging with Home Office operational commands and stakeholders during this process.On 22 June 2022 we announced the ‘Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017’ will be extended for a final time, ending in line with the implementation of Section 43 and Schedule 6 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. Leave to enter under the terms of the concession will not be granted beyond 31 October 2022.We expect employers to use the period between July and October to recruit labour from the resident workforce, or should they wish to continue employing overseas labour, to obtain a Home Office sponsor licence and secure the necessary permission to work for all their foreign workers.

Asylum: Rwanda

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional payments have been made to Rwanda since the £120 million initial payment under the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with that country.

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what per-person payment has been agreed for the transfer of asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda for the individuals in addition to the £120 million initial investment under the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with that country.

Tom Pursglove: The UK has provided Rwanda with an initial investment of £120m as part of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership.Every person’s needs are different, but we anticipate the amount would be comparable to processing costs incurred in the UK. Funding is only provided while a person remains in Rwanda.

UK Visas and Immigration: Telephone Services

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time in minutes was on the MP UK Visas and Immigration helpline in (a) April and (b) May 2022.

Kevin Foster: We have been reviewing staff numbers and have added an additional 40 support staff who are supporting with the HMPO and Ukraine calls.We continue to review resource and wait times to reduce these even further.

Asylum

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of AsylumMatters’ November 2021 report, Lessons Learned: How government contracts failed people seeking asylum, again.

Tom Pursglove: The Government is aware of the report. The vast majority of service users have now received and activated their new Aspen card since the service went live on Monday 24th May 2021.These cards are working and are being used successfully to make purchases or withdraw funds (dependent on asylum seeker support type). Where replacement cards have been requested, they are being actioned swiftly and are being dispatched to service users accordingly. Card activation rates continue to increase. We are proactively working with partners to ensure that any eligible service users receive their new Aspen card and activate it successfully. In the interim, emergency cash payments (ECPs) are being provided to support their critical needs.There are no plans to publish the department’s lessons learned review.

Asylum: Finance

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish her Department’s lessons learned review of the transition to ASPEN cards for asylum seekers in summer 2021.

Tom Pursglove: The Government is aware of the report. The vast majority of service users have now received and activated their new Aspen card since the service went live on Monday 24th May 2021.These cards are working and being used successfully to make purchases or withdraw funds (dependent on asylum seeker support type). Where replacement cards have been requested, they are being actioned swiftly and are being dispatched to service users accordingly. Card activation rates continue to increase. We are proactively working with partners to ensure that any eligible service users receive their new Aspen card and activate it successfully. In the interim, Emergency Cash Payments (ECPs) are being provided to support their critical needs.There are no plans to publish the department’s Lessons learned review.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Consultants

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much his Department spent on consultancy fees in the last five years.

Eddie Hughes: Expenditure figures are included each year in the Department's annual report and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dluhc-departmental-spending-over-250 The corresponding figure for FY2021-22 is expected to be published by the end of July 2022.

Housing: Construction

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to publish an impact assessment of the future homes standard.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will bring forward the consultation period on the technical specification for the future homes standard to 2023, to provide industry with more time to meet the 2025 implementation date.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of a transition phase for the future homes standard, so that new developments that receive planning consents before 2025 can continue to build to existing standards.

Eddie Hughes: We have listened to calls for a swifter and more certain pathway to 2025 and our work on a full technical specification for the Future Homes Standard has been accelerated. We therefore intend to consult on this in Spring 2023 and introduce the necessary legislation in 2024, ahead of full implementation of the Future Homes Standard in 2025. A full impact assessment on the Future Homes Standard will be carried out ahead of implementation and published online.As part of the consultation, we will consider what transitional arrangements are appropriate. Transitional arrangements are important as they provide all developers with certainty about the standards they are building to, and assurance that they should not have to make material amendments to work which is already underway when new Regulations came into force.The Government recently introduced an uplift to the Building Regulations as a stepping stone to the Future Homes Standard. As part of the uplift, transitional arrangements were put in place which mean that if a developer submitted an initial notice, a building notice or full plans application to the local authority prior to the new Regulations coming into effect, on 15 June 2022, provided work then starts on the building by 15 June 2023, then work on that building is permitted to continue under the previous standards.  Monitoring the impact of the uplift and the associated transitional arrangements will be a key consideration in setting the transitional arrangements for the Future Homes Standard.

Local Government: CCTV

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the availability of funding for local authorities to install and maintain CCTV networks.

Kemi Badenoch: The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2022/23 makes available an additional £3.7 billion to councils in England, including funding for adult social care reform. In total, we expect local authority Core Spending Power to rise from £50.4 billion in 2021/22 to up to £54.1 billion in 2022/23. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities.In addition, the Safer Streets Fund, which is administered by the Home Office, provides local organisations with the resources they need to tackle crime through evidence based and innovative interventions including improved CCTV. £50 million per year is being invested in the Safer Streets Fund over the next three years.

Leisure: Facilities

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the potential implications of the rise in energy prices on the ability of public (a) swimming pools and (b) other leisure facilities to remain open.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of (a) local authorities and (b) public leisure facilities on the potential impact of the rise in energy prices on public leisure facilities.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.We also recognise the impact rising energy prices will have on businesses of all sizes. Ofgem and the Government, including colleagues in DCMS and DLUHC, are in regular contact with councils, business groups and suppliers to understand the challenges they face.

Council Tax: Energy Bills Rebate

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to ensure that carers who temporarily live with the person they care for and are on a low income are entitled to the Council tax rebate.

Kemi Badenoch: The council tax rebate was targeted at occupied properties, where energy bills are likely to be higher. There is an exemption from council tax for properties that are unoccupied because someone is living elsewhere to provide care, and these properties are not eligible for the main rebate. As part of the rebate scheme, we have however provided councils with £144 million to provide discretionary support. While it is for councils to decide how to use this funding, our guidance suggests that payments might be made to households where the energy bill payer is not liable for council tax.

Faith, Race and Hate Crime Grant Scheme

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Faith, Race and Hate Crime Grant Scheme.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many people have been supported as part of the Faith, Race and Hate Crime Grant Scheme, by region.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government's 2020/21 Faith, Race and Hate Crime (FRHC) Grant Scheme supported 9 organisations to run various innovative projects that championed our commitment to building a diverse and tolerant society for all faiths and racesCollectively, 48,300 young people and adults directly participated in the scheme.

Economic Situation: Coronavirus

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of levels of regional disparity in economic recovery following the covid-19 outbreak.

Neil O'Brien: Since March 2020, the Government has provided up to £400 billion of direct support for the economy through the pandemic which has helped to safeguard jobs, businesses and public services in every region and nation of the UK. The Government has paid out an estimated £98 billion through the furlough scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to an estimated 14.7 million employed and self-employed people, helping to protect jobs, businesses and livelihoods. Through our loan and grant schemes, the Government has made an estimated £104 billion available to support businesses of all sizes across the UK.

Housing: North of England

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what (a) short- and (b) long-term plans his Department has to tackle the demand for housing in the north of England, particularly in urban centres.

Stuart Andrew: The Levelling Up White Paper marked an important moment: making clear the scale of our ambition to address inequalities for communities right across the country. Through our planning reforms local leaders will have greater powers to improve town centres, bring land and property into productive use and use the planning system to deliver the beautiful and sustainable homes their communities want.We have announced £10 billion investment in housing supply since the start of this Parliament, with our housing supply interventions due to ultimately unlock over 1 million new homes over the Spending Review 2021 period and beyond. This includes an additional £1.8 billion investment announced at Spending Review 2021.  We have also launched the £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund, which will provide loans to small and medium sized builders and developers to deliver 42,000 homes.We have also introduced a range of national permitted development rights which support housing delivery. These include rights which allow change of use of commercial buildings such as shops and offices to residential use, and rights which allow existing commercial and residential buildings to extend upwards by two additional storeys to create new homes and extra living space. We have also introduced a new permitted development right to allow vacant commercial, industrial and residential blocks to be demolished and replaced with new residential units.In December 2020 we changed the formula to increase housing need by 35% in our 20 most populated urban areas, to maximise use of existing infrastructure and to support development that reduces the need for high-carbon travel. A number of these are in the North of England - including Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Bradford.

Shared Ownership

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department has taken to increase the availability of shared ownership properties.

Stuart Andrew: This Government believes that Shared Ownership has a vital role to play in extending the benefits of home ownership to those who might otherwise struggle to afford it. In April 2021, we introduced our new model of Shared Ownership, which forms a major part of our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme (AHP).   The AHP aims to deliver up to 180,000 new homes, should economic conditions allow. Up to half of these homes will be for the new model of Shared Ownership. To further increase the availability of new model Shared Ownership homes, we have also introduced the Right to Shared Ownership. This will offer tenants living in eligible rented homes delivered through the AHP the opportunity to purchase their homes on Shared Ownership terms.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many potential sponsors through the Homes for Ukraine scheme have not been able to house a Ukrainian refugee because those refugees have not been granted UK visas due to being classified as unaccompanied minors.

Eddie Hughes: I refer the Hon Member to the written statement made by my Hon Friend, the Secretary of State (HCSW123) on 22 June 2022. Further details will be set out in due course.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme: Northern Ireland

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2022 to Question 21205 on Homes for Ukraine Scheme, if he will make a comparative assessment of the adequacy of the (a) Northern Ireland Executive and (b) his Department's scheme for payments to sponsors.

Eddie Hughes: The department has agreed with each of the Devolved Administrations the mechanism for making "thank you" payments. The payments process will be reviewed on an ongoing basis based on data received including from English Councils and Devolved Administrations.

Scotland Office

Question

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make an assessment of the effect on Scotland of the state of democracy in the UK.

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make an assessment of the effect on Scotland of the state of democracy in the UK.

Iain Stewart: The United Kingdom is a family of nations that embodies parliamentary democracy.The Scottish Parliament is one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world and the UK Government will continue to respect and uphold the current devolution settlement.

Question

Mr Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will have discussions with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Scottish Government on the impact of the outbreak of covid-19 on fiscal deficits in (i) the UK and (ii) Scotland.

Iain Stewart: The UK Government supported businesses and households throughout the global pandemic and the British Business Bank loan scheme alone saved up to 500,000 businesses and 2.9 million jobs UK-wide alone.We have taken action last year and returned the public finances to a sustainable path, and the Government is on track to meet its fiscal rules.

Question

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent steps his Department has taken to help support the Scottish economy.

Iain Stewart: The Scotland Office works closely with colleagues across the UK Government.This included the Covid support which has seen us exit the pandemic with record low unemployment and the fiscal firepower to address the cost of living challenge.We are now focused on economic growth, high-quality job creation and the transition to net zero.

Genetic Engineering: Scotland

Jerome Mayhew: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of allowing gene editing in Scotland.

Mr Alister Jack: It is the UK Government's ambition for the whole of the UK to benefit from the cutting edge technology that the development of gene edited plants offers. Agriculture and the legislation of gene edited plants is a devolved matter and the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill currently extends to England only. However, we are keen that all parts of the UK have the ability to unlock the potential of these technologies and are having ongoing discussions on the proposed policy changes with the Devolved Administrations. We have also invited them to join us in bringing forward this legislation and this invitation remains open as the Bill continues its passage through Parliament.

Cabinet Office

Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, through what mechanism a civil servant can raise a complaint of (a) bullying, (b) sexual harassment and (c) other misconduct against a minister during any time the post of Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interest is unfilled; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Ellis: In the event of a complaint against a minister relating to potential misconduct, the dispute resolution procedure in place in all departments would be used. The matter would be escalated to the department’s Permanent Secretary, who would handle the complaint in conjunction with the Cabinet Office and the member of staff concerned.

Tobacco

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether it is the Prime Minister’s policy to maintain the obligations set out under Article 5.3 of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; and whether the Prime Minister has discussed the Government’s tobacco policy with (a) Lynton Crosby or (b) any people or organisations with links to the tobacco industry.

Michael Ellis: As outlined in my answer of 23 May 2022 to PQ 7958, Sir Lynton Crosby is not a Government Adviser; any assistance he may provide is in a party political capacity to the Conservative Party. In relation to Government policy on tobacco control, I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 9 June 2022, Official Report, HCWS87. In developing the new Tobacco Control Plan, I can confirm the Government will continue to follow WHO principles.

Infected Blood Inquiry

Wayne David: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the report by Sir Robert Francis entitled, Compensation and Redress for the Victims of Infected Blood, Recommendations for a Framework, published on 7 June 2022, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on providing additional funding allocations to ensure that compensation payments to people affected by contaminated blood products are not funded from existing health and social care budgets.

Michael Ellis: I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to PQ 16932 on 20 June 2022.

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Jessica Morden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2022 to Question 19595 on Civil Servants: Recruitment, when the last meeting between the Civil Service Dyslexia and Dyspraxia Network and (a) the Civil Service Disability Network and (b) other cross-Government Diversity Networks took place; and (i) when and (ii) in what format the Government has consulted with the Civil Service Dyslexia and Dyspraxia Network in each of the last three years.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: As set out in the Declaration on Government Reform and the recent Civil Service Diversity Strategy, the civil service is committed to setting a new standard for inclusive workplaces. The Cabinet Office values the importance of ensuring our workplaces are inclusive for colleagues with dyslexia and we engage with relevant Networks where appropriate.The Civil Service Dyslexia and Dyspraxia Network are a sub-network of the Civil Service Disability Network. As a sub-network of the Civil Service Disability Network, the chairs of the sub networks meet every two months, a representative of the Civil Service Inclusive Practice Team attends these meetings, the most recent meeting was on 19 May 2022.Additionally the team will engage with individual Networks on an ad hoc basis when requested or helpful to test HR policy which impacts specific groups. Individual HR policy teams, such as those on recruitment, organise and meet separately with stakeholders.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Written Questions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when she intends to answer Question UIN 13663, tabled on 7 June 2022.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department for International Trade has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for International Trade: Consultants

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much her Department spent on consultancy fees in the last five years.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department for International Trade reported spend on consultants in its Annual Report and Accounts and this information is publicly available on www.gov.uk on the following links: The 2021-2022 consultancy spend will be published in the 2021-2022 Annual Report and Accounts in the coming weeks. Department for International Trade Annual Report and Accounts 2016 to 2017, page 49https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-international-trade-annual-report-and-accounts-2016-to-2017 Department for International Trade annual report and accounts 2017 to 2018, page 115https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-international-trade-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-to-2018 Department for International Trade Annual Report and Accounts 2018 to 2019, page 120https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20200704143806/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-international-trade-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-2019  Department for International Trade Annual Report and Accounts 2019 to 2020, page 109https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20200716232216/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-international-trade-annual-report-and-accounts-2019-to-2020  Department for International Trade Annual Report and Accounts 2020 to 2021, page 137https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1002839/DIT-annual-report-2020-to-2021.pdf

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Youth Services: Disadvantaged

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has plans to increase the funding allocated to youth services in areas of high deprivation.

Nigel Huddleston: Local Authorities have a statutory duty to allocate funding to youth services in line with local need. This is funded from the Local Government settlement, which was over £12 billion last year. DCMS is currently reviewing the guidance associated with the statutory duty.The Government recognises the vital role that youth services and activities play in improving the life chances and wellbeing of young people. The Government has committed to a National Youth Guarantee: that by 2025, every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer. This will be supported by a three year £560 million investment in youth services, reflecting young people's priorities and addressing the inconsistencies in national youth spending, with a firm focus on levelling up.The £368 million Youth Investment Fund will fund the construction or redevelopment of up to 300 youth facilities - such as small youth facilities, youth centres and activity centres - targeting investment in left-behind areas, where young people have the greatest need and lowest provision. Phase One of the Youth Investment Fund, administered by BBC Children in Need, has delivered £12 million of funding this year to over 400 local youth organisations in levelling up priority areas in England.

Sports: West Midlands

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to help support grassroot sports initiatives in (a) Wolverhampton and (b) the West Midlands.

Nigel Huddleston: Sport and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health and this government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.The significant core public investment of £778 million for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has accelerated investment and regeneration in Birmingham and the West Midlands. This includes infrastructure developments like the Alexander Stadium renovations and the new Sandwell Aquatics Centre that will be a legacy for the community to use long after the Games is over. Sport England is also investing £35 million for physical activity legacy, which will cover both targeted interventions in the West Midlands region as well as national investments to open up sporting opportunities to all.Since 2018, the department has also invested £333,674 into a wide range of grassroots sport projects across Wolverhampton through Sport England, such as to the Finchfield Hockey Club and Ormiston New Academy. This is part of the £23.2 million invested in the West Midlands during the same period.The Government also invests £18 million each year in community sport facilities via the Football Foundation. In partnership with the Football Association and Premier League, this results in £70 million being invested into community sport facilities every year. The Football Foundation has granted over £4.7 million to the West Midlands to develop football and multi-use grassroots sports facilities in 2021/22.

British Boxing Board of Control

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding her Department has provided to the British Boxing Board of Control in each year since 2017.

Nigel Huddleston: My Department has not provided funding to the British Boxing Board of Control, which has been overseeing British professional boxing independently of the government since 1929.

Advertising: Regulation

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what sanctions the Ofcom can impose on advertisers referred to them by the Advertising Standards Agency for consistently breaking advertising standards.

Julia Lopez: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for writing and enforcing standards for advertisers through the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP Code) and the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code). In certain areas of these codes the ASA can refer cases to a number of different backstop regulators who have additional enforcement powers. The regulators that can be involved depend on the media in which advertising is published or the type of breach in question.The ASA’s responsibility for the day-to-day regulation of broadcast advertising content is established under a co-regulatory arrangement with Ofcom. Ofcom can take enforcement action, such as sanctions, against broadcasters who do not comply with ASA decisions and/or where breaches are sufficiently serious.For non-broadcast advertising, including newspapers, magazines, out of home and the majority of online advertising, the self-regulatory framework primarily applies to advertisers. Where further powers of enforcement have been deemed necessary, the ASA is able to refer certain cases to relevant statutory backstop regulators, such as to the Gambling Commission in the case of gambling advertising, the Competition and Markets Authority in relation to competition in digital markets, and to Trading Standards Services for misleading advertising. Those organisations are able to apply sanctions in line with their respective legislative powers.Separately, as a result of the Health and Care Act, from 1 January 2024, Ofcom will have the power to sanction broadcasters and online advertisers that breach restrictions surrounding the advertising of products high in fat, sugar or salt on TV or via paid-for advertising online. Ofcom will have statutory responsibility for enforcing restrictions including powers to designate functions to a frontline regulator who will be responsible for the day to day enforcement of the policy. Ofcom will be able to take enforcement action, including the imposition of financial penalties on broadcasters and online advertisers.The Government consultation on the Online Advertising Programme launched earlier this year and closed on 8 June. The Online Advertising Programme is examining the regulatory model for online advertising to ensure it protects consumers and minimises harm. This work includes looking at the role of platforms and intermediaries, as well as advertisers, to ensure the overarching system is coherent, supporting a sustainable, transparent and accountable online advertising market. We will be publishing a Government response to the consultation in due course.

Prime Minister

Banks: Pay

Angela Rayner: To ask the Prime Minister, whether he had further meetings with international bankers to discuss raising the cap on bankers’ bonuses following his meeting on 7 June 2022 entitled Financial Services Roundtable to discuss global competitiveness, levelling up and net zero.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Prime Minister, what the outcome was of his meeting on 7 June 2022 entitled Financial Services Roundtable to discuss global competitiveness, levelling up and net zero.

Boris Johnson: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer to PQ 23307.